•Resist temptation by not sneaking out too early to play some of our new
• Excited to show renovations with our complimentary cart tours
Remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see all of the changes first hand!
Thanks to everyone who came out this year and played 18 holes on our Canyon and Mountain courses. Be sure to book your tee times, special events, wedding parties, or outings for the 2015 season by calling 218-663-7195 or send an email to SNL@boreal.org.
Haunted by Moose & Mad About Spooks
October is upon us and with it the last few breaths of summer and the onset of winter. For many of us in the Northern Wilds, fall is the best time of year. The bugs are gone, and the trees are bare, which opens up a new view. Hunting opportunities abound and the air wafts between warm and crisp. It’s invigorating, and the moose think so too.
The male moose are in rut, rubbing their antlers against trees to shed the velvet, sparring with other males, marking their scent and vocalizing their presence to the opposite sex. They will soon find a partner and mate, producing calves which will be born in the spring.
It’s a cause for celebration, and Grand Marais takes up the call during the third weekend of October with the Moose Madness Festival. Inside this issue you will find the Moose News & Tribune, which details the weekend’s events. There is a map of routes you can drive to look for moose and an article about the alces alces, the scientific name for a species that evokes the Northwoods.
Nace Hagemann, a local photographer, has taken up moose photography as a specialty. This month’s cover photo, and the photo spread along with his story verify that moose are an incredible species, and despite evidence that moose numbers are in decline, his photos give us hope and proof that they are still roaming the uplands and lowlands along the Gunflint Trail.
Also this month, we look forward to feeling spooked. Usually, it’s a feeling we run away from, but in October, we do our best to make life a little more scary. Joan Farnam talks with folks along the North Shore that report encounters with the unexplainable: UFOs, apparitions, and ghosts. It’s a creepy read, to be sure.
Julia Prinselaar, takes a slightly different approach and interviews three people that make their living at night, a time when most of us would rather be sleeping. Elle Andra-Warner gives us a primer on Halloween, and in the events section, you can read about Fright Fest and the Hunger Cabaret, a large Halloween event that draws thousands
in Thunder Bay and incorporates zombies.
This issue us packed with other stories too. Check out Kelsey Roseth’s piece about the Thunder Bay Country Market or Joseph Friedrich’s profile of conservation officer Darin Fagerman. Gord Ellis gives us an update on the upcoming hunting season in Canada and how many permits will be available for different species in different areas.
So before winter blows in, take a slow drive and keep your eyes peeled for moose. And well, if you see anything unexplainable, we at Northern Wilds are all open ears to hear your story.—Erin Altemus
Sue O’Quinn, Sales Representative sue@northernwilds.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Katie Viren • katie@northernwilds.com
Kate Watson • kate@northernwilds.com
OFFICE
Roseanne Cooley • billing@northernwilds.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Elle Andra-Warner, Gord Ellis, Kim Falter, Joan Farnam, Joseph Friedrichs, Michael Furtman, Nace Hagemann, Bryan Hansel, Julia Prinselaar, Kelsey Roseth, Kelly Schoenfelder, Javier Serna, Copyright 2014 by Northern Wilds Media, Inc. Published 12 times per year. Subscription rate is $28 per year or $52 for 2 years. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part requires written permission from the publishers. Northern Wilds Media, Inc. P.O. Box 26, Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-9475 (phone/fax)
Merlin Falcon by Michael Furtman
Adults $5 • Kids 6-12yrs $10 Children 5 and under FREE! Recommended for children ages 12 and under.
Grand Marais student paddles 600 miles in the Arctic
GRAND MARAIS—At YMCA Camp Menogyn, completing the final expedition in a long progression of trips is a rite of passage. Menogyn, located on Bearskin Lake on the Gunflint Trail (YMCA Camps Widjiwagan in Ely and Manitowish in Wisconsin are similar), introduces teens to the wilderness on 8-, 11- or 14-day trips, primarily in the Boundary Waters, but also with hiking trips to Isle Royale and the Superior Hiking Trail.
Grand Marais high school senior, Carrie Palmer, began her Menogyn career on an 8-day trip in the BWCAW.
“My mother forced me to do it,” Palmer said. But she liked it enough to keep going back to Menogyn.
Over six summers, she worked her way up to the coveted Femmes du Nord, as Menogyn calls it, or Women of the North—a six-week expedition on an Arctic river. Teens must be invited to go on these longer trips. They get invited by demonstrating the YMCA’s core values—respect, caring, honesty and responsibility.
Palmer’s trip took her and three other girls plus their guide to the Northwest Territories, specifically to the Kazan River.
First there was whitewater training on the St. Louis River near Duluth, then the group stayed at Menogyn for several days packing food and equipment and planning the route with their guide. They drove for three days to a town (or float-plane base) called Points North. The group was supposed to have a 1/2 hour flight to their starting point, Kasba Lake—but it was iced over (and this was late June). The pilot flew them two hours further to Ennadai Lake, and then it was just them, for 41 days.
Palmer grew up in Grand Marais and lives in town. She says her parents aren’t really that outdoorsy. Not many of her friends have been to the Boundary Waters, much less understand what it’s like to do a six-week trip in the wilderness.
“It’s weird what people wonder about,” Palmer said. “Showering, shaving ... “ She said the only ones who really under-
stand are the ones who have done these trips or the people in her group.
Their route took the group down the Kazan River, up the Kunwak River (where the water was low and they had to drag their boats for a long way), back to the Kazan and eventually ended in Baker Lake.
A highlight, Palmer said, was Kazan Falls, a massive falls that drops through a canyon. The group had to line their canoes to even get to the portage, which started right at the lip of the falls. A large cairn stood there as well as notes from groups that traveled through over the past four decades.
Palmer’s group saw a muskoxen within 10 feet, as well as a herd of 16 muskoxen, 5 caribou, a cinnamon bear, a wolf and a lot of birds. They also caught fish.
“They would almost jump in your boat,” Palmer said.
Palmer became sick for a while, and struggled with wanting to embrace being out in an amazing place, and yet also wanted to be anywhere but there.
The bugs were bad, but apparently not as bad as they were for some other groups doing northern rivers, who described having “mosquito-ball fights.”
Palmer says that the girls talked often about how their lives might be different if they hadn’t done these Menogyn trips.
“I feel like it’s had a big impact,” she said. “I’m more outgoing. I have more self-confidence.”
For now her future plans may involve some form of the military, possibly Air Guard and also college. She will finish her last year at Cook County High School thinking about the wilderness, though.
“Give me a canoe and a paddle. I’d rather be sitting out on a calm lake,” she said.—Erin Altemus
Carrie Palmer takes in the view of the Kazan River where it pours through a behemoth gorge. | NATALIE HOLDAHL
More routes for ATVs
GRAND MARAIS If you open the road, they will come.
Or so follows the sentiment behind a local, grass-roots effort to allow more road access for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the Superior National Forest, specifically areas along the middle Gunflint Trail.
“What we’re looking for is not new ATV trails,” said Gary Siesennop, a board member of the Cook County ATV Club. “We’re looking for connecting links, for ways to travel from one legal road or trail to another, just as all other vehicles can do.”
An environmental analysis to review use on some sections of Forest Service roads in Cook County, specifically along the middle Gunflint, is in progress and should be completed by the end of 2014, according to Jonathan Benson, a recreation specialist for the USDA Forest Service in the Tofte and Gunflint Ranger Districts. Some of the roads under review include Pine Mountain and Lima Grade.
“Currently there is no way to get from the Pine Mountain Road to the Lima Grade without trailering an ATV,” Benson said. “If the outcome of the environmental analysis results in a decision to open the Pine Mountain Road, the Forest Service will evaluate opportunities to connect these two routes.”
Expanding the boundaries where ATVs can travel in the Superior National Forest is a no-brainer for some, though it has a history of raising concern for others. Potential
side effects of increased ATV use in the Superior National Forest include land erosion into sensitive watersheds and disturbance to other forest visitors and wildlife. However, for some business owners along the Trail, the positive aspects of increasing ATV terrain outweigh any such consequences.
“If there are arguments, they make no sense,” said Sarah Hamilton, the owner of Trail Center Lodge & Restaurant. “This is just adding another type of motorized vehicle to a road that already allows cars, trucks and motorcycles.”
Hamilton, who is also a member of the local ATV club, said opening sections of roads to ATV use would give more people a reason to visit the Gunflint during otherwise slow seasons.
“My friends, neighbors and many guests, older and handicapped, are excited about having the opportunity to get out and experience the woods on their (ATV),” she said. “I would love to see even more folks out enjoying this beautiful area.”
In 2010, Cook County decided to open some county roads to OHVs (Off-Highway Vehicles) and Lake County opened several county roads in 2013, Benson said.
“There are many Forest Service roads where ATV use was not allowed because they would have dead-ended at county roads, or encouraged illegal riding of county roads,” Benson said. “Now that the counties have decided to open some roads to ATV use, we are reviewing opportunities to create additional loop opportunities that connect to county roads.”
As far as the Forest Service is concerned, Benson noted, ATV use is a legitimate use of national forest land which must be appropriately managed.
“Often in managing natural resources, a balance must be found between allowing for public use and enjoyment of the national forest and protecting the natural resources,” he said.
Members of the Cook County ATV Club highlighted the fact there have been no problems with ATV use in the five years since the time a county-wide ordinance opened roads to ATV use. Opening more roads to ATV use along the middle Gunflint will be a boost for morale of those who enjoy the recreational opportunity it provides, as well as businesses in the area, according to Hamilton.
“We are not trying to get rich up here,” she said. “We just want to be able to stay and work in this community year-round.” —Joseph Friedrichs
Rain Garden
GRAND MARAIS—A new rain garden currently under construction north of the hockey rink in Grand Marais features 750 perennials, 35 shrubs and 6 native trees.
The Cook County Community Center’s Rain Garden Committee worked with the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District staff and the Minnesota Conservation Corps to construct and plant the 50 by 40 foot rain garden. The project is the latest and largest in a varied series of rain gardens in Grand Marais in which native plants are chosen for their deep roots that draw water down into the ground and pull nutrients up. Like the others, the new rain garden will collect and retain rain and runoff from its surrounding area long enough for it to filter down into the soil to improve water quality. At the same time, the water retention will reduce the movement of sediment, nutrients and pollutants into Lake Superior. By avoiding the direct discharge of polluted runoff water into Lake Superior, the rain garden also will reduce erosion and flooding in the vicinity during torrential rains.
All of the plants in the rain garden are neonicotinoid-free and friendly to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, fireflies and other beneficial insects for whom it is intended to be a safe habitat. It is expected that birds and small wildlife will also find the rain garden to be a good place to live, find food and raise young.
Other features of the completed project include walking and maintenance paths as well as bridges and boardwalks made from donated repurposed lumber. There also will be a viewing bench for visitors to sit and enjoy the flora and fauna of the rain garden. The work was done by the youth workers from the Minnesota Conservation Corps and Master Gardeners. Elsie Kyllo developed the project.
The original design for this large garden is a collaborative plan produced by a rain garden class taught by Cook County Extension director, Diane Booth. Members of the class formed the committee tasked with carrying out the design with a funding grant from the Soil and Water Conservation District.
Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives
Did you know that many people don’t test their smoke alarms as often as they should? When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. You need working smoke alarms to give you time to get out. Test yours every month!
• Almost three of five (60%) of reported home fire deaths in 2007 to 2011 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in reported home fires in half.
• In fires considered large enough to activate the smoke alarm, hardwired alarms operated 93% of the time, while battery powered alarms operated only 79% of the time.
• When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected, or dead.
• An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires and a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoldering fires. For the best protection, or where extra time is needed, to awaken or assist others, both types of alarms, or combination ionization and photoelectric alarms are recommended.
Nearly $1 million for the Shore
ST. PAUL—The Minnesota DNR was recently awarded $969,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program.
This is quite a boost for the North Shore of Lake Superior,” said Amber Westerbur, coastal program manager. “With the money, we will give grants for local projects. We’ll also be able to provide data, information, tools, training and technical assistance to communities, agencies and organizations working to solve issues that impact Lake Superior and its coast.”
Minnesota’s coastal program focuses on protecting, restoring and developing responsibly the state’s coastal communities and resources. Each year, the program offers competitive grants to help fund local projects that meet the goals of the national Coastal Zone Management Act. Eight projects were selected to be part of this year’s award. These projects will:
• Develop the second phase of a plan to improve wayside rest areas along the North Shore Scenic Drive.
• Continue to inventory culverts along roads in southeastern St. Louis County.
• Raise awareness about invasive species and how to combat them in Cook County through a public outreach campaign.
• Deliver woodland stewardship training to private landowners along the North Shore, introducing them to forest management and restoration, mapping techniques, wildlife enhancement opportunities, and planning for future ownership.
• Analyze energy use at the Clair Nelson Center in Finland and create interpretive signs and displays to educate visitors about energy efficient technologies used at the center.
• Test the feasibility of restoring aquatic plants in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Duluth.
• Install an interpretive boardwalk along the Baptism River in Finland.
• Conduct a scoping exercise for the unbuilt portions of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, including planning level designs, cost estimates, and strategies for completion.
Conservation volunteers helped with some of the grunt work in the rain garden. | ELISE KYLLO
Celebrating the BWCAWs 50th
MINNEAPOLIS—Where could be better to celebrate the 50th anniversary of wilderness than in canoes in the Boundary Waters? This was the impetus for a recent trip put together by Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness and Forest Service representatives.
Paul Danicic, director of Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, said the idea was to do a “deep dive into wilderness issues with managers, advocates, educators, political representatives and younger generations.”
BWCAW cont. on page 11
Local study looks deeper at foreign workers in Cook County
COOK COUNTY—It’s not news that Cook County runs on a mostly seasonal economy. While many of us are familiar with the local folks who work two to three jobs to make ends meet, or those who alternate between summer and winter occupations, there’s another facet of the workforce that helps fill necessary positions during the busy summer months: foreign workers. It’s a group that’s gone largely unstudied, and very few in the community have a real grasp on how many foreign workers are working in the county at any given time, or what sort of experiences they are having while they’re here.
But that’s about to change. Several Cook County residents who participated in the Blandin Foundation’s Leadership program have been working with a graduate student at the University of Minnesota to put together a study to better understand the scope of the foreign workforce in Cook County and how these international students interact with local residents and visitors.
“It seems to be the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about,” Diane Booth, one of the survey organizers, said. “You know, how do people interact with the international students? Do the students feel comfortable here? When they come here, do they enjoy their stay? How do the local residents feel? Are they interacting with them? Are they ignoring them? Do they feel resentful? I mean, none of that data has ever been collected.”
The study will include two surveys, one for residents and one for visitors, as well as focus groups and one-onone interviews with local business owners, local seasonal workers, and the foreign workers themselves.
“A lot of international workers, in many cases are front line,” Steve Surbaugh, another organizer, said. “They’re servers at restaurants, they’re front desk people, they’re doing maintenance and cleaning at resorts, they’re bag-
ging groceries at the grocery store. So, we’re sort of wanting to document the experiences that the tourists have with international students. Were they surprised to see all of these international students? Was it a positive interaction? Did they enjoy it? Did it add or did it subtract from their stay?”
Cook County isn’t the only one with this sort of program in place. Other seasonal economies, such as Door County in Wisconsin, participate in similar programs that bring in international students for seasonal work. In addition to taking a look at those communities, the survey organizers hope to better understand the history of the international workforce in Cook County, and to sort out reality from the perception of how international students make up the workforce here.
“One of the things that I found interesting so far from people I talk to is everybody says different things about it,” said Brittany Edwards, the graduate student hired for the study. “I go from one interview to another, or one conversation to another, and see how differently people perceive the same thing.”
The group received two grants for the project, including one to hire Edwards to help conduct the study. A final report and the results of the surveys are forthcoming, and the group hopes it will be complete later this fall. There are hopes to continue gathering data even after the report is complete. Until then, the survey organizers are looking forward to gathering baseline data to begin clarifying the role and impacts of international workers in our community.
“If all you do is listen to your neighbor who has one opinion, and you assume that that is correct, is that gathering good data?” Booth asks. “We need to know this information as a county if we’re going to move forward economically and socially.”
—Kelly Schoenfelder
Apply for coastal area STAR grants
ST. PAUL—The Minnesota DNR is accepting grant applications for shortterm action request (STAR) projects through its Minnesota’s Lake Superior coastal program. The deadline for applications is Friday, Oct. 17.
STAR project grants offer $2,500 to $7,500 in funding and up to a 50 percent match of eligible, shortterm projects located within the coastal program service area. Grant recipients may choose a start date be-
tween Dec. 15 and June 1, 2015, and projects must be completed within six months.
Eligible projects must align with at least one of the six following categories: coastal habitat, coastal hazards, water quality, public access, coastal community development and coordination and public involvement.
Local and state governments, nonprofit organizations, area-wide agen-
cies, regional planning agencies, colleges and universities, public school districts, port authorities, tribal governments, joint powers boards and sanitary sewer districts are eligible to apply.
Funding totaling $60,000 is available. Application information is available at www.mndnr.gov/mlscp. Call Amber Westerbur, program manager, 218-834-1445, or by email for more info.
[FROM LEFT TO RIGHT] Lee Johnson, Sue Duffy, Bud, the VOBS Staff, Emily Northard, Alan Brew, and Lindsay Dean.
| JOHN-PAUL YATES
Ann Schwaller, wilderness specialist for the Superior National Forest, and Sue Duffy, recreation and wilderness program manager, were key planners of the trip. There were enough folks to have three separate groups on trail. According to Danicic, very few of the participants knew each other.
“As far as I know, it [a trip with facilitated discussion to celebrate the 50th of the Wilderness Act] was one of the only
Visit
trips like this going on in the country,” Danicic said.
Part of the concept was to talk about what makes wilderness, wilderness. The groups discussed key details of what the Wilderness Act defines as wilderness—untrammeled, natural (primary features are not manmade), undeveloped, opportunities for solitude, unconfined recreation and at its core, a place set apart.
“Humans are very good at messing with things, so one thing that came out of this
trip is that the Wilderness Act is one of the greatest manifestations of humility in our society, that we are committed to leave this place alone.”
Danicic said that the participants were able to give recommendations to the wilderness managers. They wanted ideas and to know what was important to people.
“I had the opportunity to paddle with deputy supervisor of the Superior National Forest, Richard Periman,” Danicic said.
At the end of the three-day trip, the groups came together for a facilitated discussion and banquet at the Voyageur Outward Bound School in Ely (coincidentally also celebrating 50 years). According to Danicic, there was a lot of discussion about current threats to wilderness, including copper nickel mining and kids growing up without nature in their lives. But in the end, there were real hopes for the future, that there would still be a Boundary Waters in another 50 years.—Erin Altemus
www.americinn.com
Finding Moose
By Nace Hagemann
fter years of hearing my stories about seeing moose and wolves on my daily drives along the Gunflint Trail, my family in Illinois suggested I get a good camera and learn how to use it. The views I took for granted were sights that my family and a lot of other people didn’t get to see every day.
I started going out specifically to look for moose. Since I find myself working construction most days and never feeling like there is enough time in the day, I focused on trying to find moose in locations that weren’t very far off of roads so that I could sneak in trips to look for them in the mornings and evenings.
I’ve read many times that a skill can be taken to expert level if a person spends 10,000 hours working on it. On average, I would guess I’ve
spent around two hours a day looking for and photographing moose the last two years. If that’s the case, then I have at least 1,460 hours in so far. Hopefully within a few more years I will know much more about Minnesota’s moose and how, where, and when to be able to see and photograph them.
I grew up on a farm and have been around animals much of my life. Many of the same actions that keep domestic animals from spooking also work with moose. If I am within sight of an animal, I move slowly and quietly. I keep talking and other noise to a minimum. Watching an animal’s ears can often tell a lot about how they are feeling—comfortable, nervous, defensive—and the same I find true with moose. Several times by watching their ears I have noticed that another animal is moving into my view that I hadn’t seen or heard.
I often look for things that are out of the ordinary. We’ve all seen beautiful moose photos by other photographers, so I try for the shots that don’t look standard to me. A moose sticking its tongue out, itching its nose, or standing in the rain staring at me all have been fun shots.
STORY AND PHOTOS
Moose calves weigh about 30 pounds at birth and can follow their mother easily after a few weeks.
Sometimes they talk to each other. The calls that a cow makes to its calves are very different than the call a bull makes to a cow. And once last winter I got to hear the sound of antlers crashing together as the last of the sunlight faded. For as long as there was enough light to see, I watched a group of seven moose cross a lake. At least five of them were bulls and were sparring to see who was in charge that night.
I don’t try to get closer to moose than what seems to be their comfort level. I don’t want to make them run and injure themselves or me. By sitting very quietly in the right spot at the right time this summer, I had several bulls, two of them with large racks, walk within 20 feet or so of me. They knew I was there and they weren’t sure what to think of me, but they weren’t afraid either. That was a huge thrill for me. My heart was beating so fast that it felt like they must have heard the thumps. The click of the shutter on my camera seemed especially obtrusive on a quiet summer evening with a large bull moose staring at me as it walked in my direction.
The more moose pictures I take, the more I am hooked. Sometimes I look for a scene where I would like to have a moose as the subject but part of a larger scene, and sometimes I like getting just the head of the animal framed by the camera lens. Several times now I have driven by a location and said to myself: “Someday I will see a moose there.” So far, I have just one spot left— I will have
to come up with some new places.
One thing I’ve noticed this year that I haven’t heard about, is that on at least four different animals and maybe more, I’ve seen swollen-looking lumps on their legs and several with open, red sores. I’m not sure what causes either the lumps or the open sores. These last two years have been pretty tough bug years for us. I am keenly aware that when I am out taking photographs with a cloud of bugs around me, that the moose never get any relief from the bug pressure. At least not until the weather starts to cool down.
Every time I grab my camera and catch another image of a moose it makes me feel good there is still a bit of wilderness out there. I like the fact that an animal that’s so big and such a symbol of the wild and the Northwoods is still surviving. All of us should be so lucky to see them in our midst.
[ABOVE] Calves will stay with their mom until mom has another baby. [RIGHT] This mother and twins were seen frequently on the Gunflint Trail in 2013.
Enter the twilight zone.
By Joan Farnam
Things that go bump in the night.
Ghosts that scatter books on the floor or rattle things in the basement.
Huge grey metallic objects that move around the sky, or follow you on the highway and then disappear when military jets scramble to confront them.
And yes, Halloween is just around the corner.
But there are stories about these things that still can’t be explained and make one wonder …
Dick Dorr, for example, who was the Cook County Sheriff for many years, said he heard a story about an airplane in the ‘60s which disappeared while investigating mysterious lights in the sky. But, he added, “I can’t verify that.”
He also said he and his deputies saw lots of strange moving lights over Lake Superior during the 1970s.
“I don’t discount that something might be out there,” he said. “But we never really established any reason for the lights we did see.”
Aformer Coast Guard mariner, who does not want to be identified, was stationed in Grand Marais in the late 1990s.
“We always thought the basement in the Coast Guard Station was haunted,” he said. “There were cages downstairs for housing people—prisoners—and in the middle of the night, you’d hear sounds down there—hear the doors opening and closing.”
He said they were told not to go down into the basement at night by their superiors—and they didn’t. “Us guys, we never looked into it very much. I haven’t been there since ’98 so I don’t know if it still happens or not.”
Did he think there were ghosts? No idea, he said. But one of his fellow guardsmen swore he saw “something” moving around the boathouse attached to the garage during daytime.
“I never saw it, but the boathouse is haunted, too,” he said.
Beth Kennedy, who owns Birchbark Books & Gifts in Grand Marais, said her staff always thought the building was haunted because books jump off the shelves when they close up the store at night.
“The staff get out of there as fast as they can,” she said. “My technical guess is it’s probably a matter of humidity. They turn off the lights and suddenly the books start flying off the shelves. It doesn’t happen every time, but it does happen a lot.”
Many of the mysterious things that people see can be explained, but some can’t.
Pete Lenski of Silver Bay has a couple of stories that make him scratch his head.
In the first, he was fishing with his father in 1976 on Pine Mountain Lake. “It would have been during the hexagenia hatch, the last week of June or the first week of July,” he said.
It was about 7 p.m.in the evening with a clear blue sky. He was sitting backwards in the canoe as he and his dad trolled for trout so they could talk easier, and he looked over his dad’s shoulder and saw this huge, grey object hovering in the air at the end of the lake.
They watched it for about five minutes, he said. “There was another canoe on the lake and we yelled at them to turn and look at it, but they didn’t hear us,” he said. “It didn’t move. It didn’t make noise, and all of a sudden it was gone. Then two jets from the Duluth Air Base flew over. They were pretty low.”
The appearance of the military aircraft implies that the object was seen on radar, but there’s no way to confirm that, he said.
He also saw a strange object years later when he was working at North Shore Mining in Silver Bay. He said he and a co-worker, were taking a break on the roof on a warm summer night. There’s a bench there for employees to use and they were sitting quietly, enjoying the beautiful night when suddenly an enormous black/grey object appeared out of nowhere. It hovered for a few moments, then flew straight up to the load-outs and then rushed back at them before heading up to the scenic overlook above the plant and disappearing.
“This all took 15-20 seconds,” he said. “It was really big and had no lights that you could tell. It was made of metal of some sort. It was just bizarre. It was so close. It just came out of the darkness.”
“Were we scared? No, it happened too quick,” he said. “But after it was gone, we were scared.”
Lenski said he has no idea what they saw that summer night. “I guess that’s why they call them Unidentified Flying Objects,” he said. “I have no explanation for either of those events.”
Certainly there are those who believe in aliens and ac t on those beliefs. In the mid-70s, for example, two people camped out in their car at the Loon Lake boat landing on the Gunflint Trail for more than a month in the winter waiting for the arrival of a UFO. It had a tragic ending, unfortunately. The UFO never appeared and Laverne Landis, 48, died of starvation and exposure, while her companion, Gerald Flach, 38, was treated for exposure and then left the area.
And people continue to report seeing UFOs.
Minnpost.org has posted an interactive map of 800 UFO sightings in Minnesota that have been filed with the UFO Reporting Center since 1947. It turns out that northern Minnesota is not that popular with aliens (most of the reports come from the Twin Cities), but there are a few.
A George Taylor reported seeing an orange-cigar shaped object in the sky in 2012. “My wife stated that she has never seen anything like this before, and she is a believer now!” he wrote in his report.
Are you?
NorthShore ArtScene
By Joan Farnam
There are lots of art and music opportunities along the North Shore this month. The first week in October is especially busy.
First up is the Crossing Borders Studio Tour & Sale, which continues daily through Sunday, Oct. 5 with artists’ studios open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Host artists in this year’s tour include glass artists Michael Tonder and Jody Freij-Tonder (Blue Skies Glassworks, rural Two Harbors), potter Dick Cooter and weaver Debbie Cooter (Cooter Pottery and Handweaving, rural Two Harbors), Tom Christiansen (Last Chance Gallery, Lutsen) woodcut printmaker Betsy Bowen (Betsy Bowen Studio, Grand Marais), clay, stone and monoprint artists Dan and Lee Ross (rural Hovland), and Ojibwe beadworker Marcie McIntire (Ningii-Ozhitoomin, Grand Portage.)
Many of the studios feature guest artists too. Refreshments are served at each studio.
On Friday, Oct. 3, a new exhibit opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Entitled “Five Generations of Arts and Crafts,” the wide-ranging show will include everything from paintings, fiber art, jewelry, encaustic, handmade paper, photography, collages and more crafted by five generations of the Smith-Daley-Ouradnik family. The show was put together by local encaustic and handmade paper artist Nancy Daley and her two daughters, Jody Ouradnik and Amy Ouradnik, and Nancy’s granddaughter, Madeline Burton
There will also be work by Nancy’s grandfather, Ralph W. Smith, and her father, Glenn Smith, both deceased. The exhibit continues through Nov. 2.
The first weekend of October also features a chance to learn about raku pottery. Award-winning Duluth raku artists, Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti, will set up tents for glazing and their portable raku kiln in the back lot of Sivertson Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to purchase a handthrown tea bowl ($20), and then glaze it themselves, watch it being fired and then take it home.
Two arts nonprofits have fundraisers on Oct. 4 as well—the North Shore Music Association and the Grand Marais Art Colony
NSMA will feature a concert by Twin Cities pop-folk sensation John Mark Nelson with his four-piece band at 7 p.m. The concert is preceded by a silent auction at 6 p.m., with bidding to continue throughout the intermission. Proceeds will go toward NSMA’s operating expenses in 2015.
The Grand Marais Art Colony’s Fund-
David Gilsvik’s “Morning at the Dockside,” won the Red Suspender Award, the People’s Choice Award and came in third overall at the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Plein Air Competition.
raiser, Tour d’Art: The Legacy, also Oct. 4, is an exclusive home tour, reception and exhibit featuring the homes, studios and art collections of artists who played a role in developing the Art Colony. The Tour d’Art exhibit at the Art Colony is open to the public Oct. 5-26.
Also on Oct. 4, award-winning poet Louis Jenkins will read for a Writer’s Salon at Drury Lane Books at 5 p.m. He will read from his latest book, “Tin Flag.”
In Duluth, a nationally touring exhibit of the Wood Engravers Network will open at the Northern Prints Gallery, 318 N.
14th Ave., with a reception from 2-7 p.m. Oct. 4. The public is invited. The exhibit continues through Nov. 2.
And Tom McCann will do a “Full Moose Reading” at Drury Lane Books from 5-6 p.m. Oct. 8.
There’s lots happening in Thunder Bay early this month, too.
“Walking With Our Sisters,” a commemorative art installation for missing and murdered indigenous women of Canada and the United States, continues at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery through Oct.
Owl Greeting, stoneware by Dan and Lee Ross, two of the artists in the Crossing Borders Studio Tour.
“Beyond the Rain,” wood engraving by R. Wagener.
12. The exhibit includes more 1,100 ramps, or moccasin tops, beaded in honor of the missing women.
The Members Show at the Baggage Building Arts Center, “A View to the Bay,” featuring photographs and paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media, continues through Oct. 12. The BBAC is located at Prince Arthur’s Landing.
The Magnus Theater in Thunder Bay is currently staging “Ain’t Misbehavin’” with music by Fats Waller through Oct. 4. For tickets, call 807-345-5552 The drama, “The Hours That Remain” opens at the theater Oct. 23.
The
Kelly Dupre will sign the award-winning book, “The Best Part of a Sauna” at Sivertson Gallery from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 17. On Saturday, Oct. 18, illustrator Betsy Bowen will be at the gallery to sign, “Plant a Pocket of Prairie” also from 11:30 to 2 p.m. And, speaking of prairie, Garrison Keillor will be at the DECC Nov. 8 with his show “A Prairie Home Companion.” The show starts at 4:45 p.m. Tickets on sale now.
In Duluth, the Minnesota Ballet opens its season at Symphony Hall at the DECC at 7 p.m. Oct. 17-18 with a trio of world-class dances, including a performance of “Who Cares?” choreographed by George Balanchine and set to a medley of eight George Gershwin tunes. Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com.
Emily Johnson of Catalyst will be in performance at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Oct. 24-25 for four limited-capacity shows plus a concert by the experimental music duo, Blackfish. The award-winning dance, “The Thank-You Bar,” will be performed at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Oct. 25. The Blackfish concert will be at 9 p.m. Oct. 25, and is free for dance performance ticket holders.
The Grand Marais Art Colony’s Memebers Show opens with a reception from 5 - 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
Members artwork is due Oct 22. For more information, call 218-387-2737.
There’s a lot going on over Halloween Weekend in Lutsen and Thunder Bay, too.
In Thunder Bay, Definitely Superior Art Gallery is putting on Hunger 9, a Halloween cabaret blockbuster and fundraiser for contemporary arts. It features 56 music/performance acts at eight bar venues throughout the Waterfront District. Tickets are $15 for admission to all venues.
The North Shore Music Association will hold the 24th annual Bluegrass Master’s Weekend at Lutsen Resort Oct. 31-Nov.2. This year’s featured musician is internationally acclaimed mandolin virtuoso Emory Lester. He will teach a number of workshops on Saturday, Nov. 1 ($8 a session, $30 for the day) as well as perform with guitarist Marc Roy and bassist Kene Hyatt at a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday night in the ballroom at the resort. Tickets available the day of event only.
In other art news, Anna Hess is exhibiting her paintings at the Coho Cafe in Tofte through October. Tara Austin is exhibiting at the Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais. Cameron Norman has her fish prints or gyotaku at the Angry Trout Cafe
The Cross River Heritage Cen-
spotlight
ter is exhibiting photographs by Peter Juhl, Kathy Gray-Anderson, Tim Ostroot and Trish Hunter as well as baskets by Jane Huggins. The Heritage Center will close for the season Oct. 18.
Blue Moose Gallery has new wine stoppers by Mark Moe, crafted from Minnesota wood, handcarved Santas by John McCormick and a new selection of Ray Pottery from North Carolina. The Blue Moose will close for the summer season Oct. 19, but will re-open for Christmas events Nov. 28 for three four-day weekends, Friday through Monday, through Dec. 15.
The Lake Superior Trading Post has cards by Gail Alden Hedstrom and Nace Hagemann and copies of “Sawdust in Their Blood” by Jim Boyd.
Threads has new felted skirts by Meg Corcoran, handmade poncho wraps by Jo Bauman and driftwood sculptures by Jill Terrill. Artists can find and/or order supplies from the shop as well.
And last, but not least, Make-ABowl for Empty Bowls continues at the Grand Marais Art Colony through Oct. 13. Sessions are at 2 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Mondays. To register, call 387-2737. The Empty Bowls event is Thursday, Nov. 13, at St. John’s Catholic Church Hall in Grand Marais.
Have you always lived on the North Shore?
No. I’m originally from northeast Iowa. Before moving to Grand Marais, I lived in Winona and moved up here about 7 1/2 years ago. I love the cool summers and the lake, and I was ready for a change.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently getting ready for Empty Bowls. I’m going to be making some tiny bowls for bowl necklaces and some soup bowls. Also, I did the Grand Marais Art Festival for the first time this summer, and I’m working on some commissions as a result.
What about your art continues to attract and fascinate you?
I’m attracted to functional work, and within functional work, there are endless possibilities of what can be done with clay. It is very sensuous and organic. I like the plasticity of it that becomes this permanent, stony material when its fired but it still reflects its malleable state. I like the process. You can kind of do anything with clay.
Where can we see your work?
I have work at Java Moose, the Grand Marais Art Colony’s Gift Shop, Last Chance Gallery, the Cross River Heritage Center and, of course, at Empty Bowls.
ANN WARD Potter
Grand Marais
A multi-generational, multi-media exhibit opens at the Johnson Heritage Post. Oct. 3.
Mavourneen Trainor is exhibiting her work at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery in Thunder Bay.
“Walking With Our Sisters” exhibit is at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery through Oct. 12.
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
Proudly Presented By
Crossing Borders Studio Tour
Sept. 26-Oct. 5
The public is invited to participate in a free, self-guided tour of a select group of professional artist studios located along the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior. The Crossing Borders Studio Tour offers a unique opportunity to visit the home studios of the artists and view and purchase artwork. Learn about the artists’ processes and how this environment influences their aesthetic decisions.
Featured this year are stone sculpture, Ojibwe art work, pottery, weaving, glass, print making, wood turning, metal works, jewelry and leather. While traveling between the studios, visitors will enjoy the amazing fall colors and panoramic views of Lake Superior.
Visit www.crossingbordersstudiotour. com for more information and a map of the studio locations.
John Mark Nelson and Silent Auction
Oct. 4
Beginning at 6 p.m., North Shore Music Association’s (NSMA) Annual Silent Auction will feature an array of unique high-quality items all generously donated by local organizations and businesses. Proceeds from the auction will benefit NSMA’s 2015 season. Bidding will continue at intermission, and winning bids will be announced following the concert.
At 7:30 p.m., NSMA is thrilled to present John Mark Nelson and his four-piece band at the ACA auditorium. Two months after his high school graduation in 2012, John Mark Nelson jumped to the top of the Minneapolis’ folk-pop scene with “Waiting and Waiting,” an album reminiscent of Nick Drake’s quiet, stripped-back acoustics and Andrew Bird’s orchestral sweep. Two years later, he’s made an even bigger splash with “Sings the Moon,” the third and most detailed collaborative album of his young career.
Now 20 years old, Nelson has racked up an impressive list of accolades, gaining the support of local DJs at 89.3 The Current and local musicians such as indie-pop songwriter Jeremy Messersmith (who makes an appearance on Sings the Moon). Members of Prince and Andrew Bird’s touring bands also appear on Sings the Moon, but Nelson is still the undisputed captain of this ship, steering his crew between intimate folk ballads and peppy, woodsy rave-ups with ease.
Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current remarks, “Only 20 years old, John Mark Nelson sings with a slow-smoked croon that belies his age, and he fills his lyrics with sharp, detailed observations of life and love in the Midwest.”
See www.northshoremusicassociation. com for more info.
Celebrate Autumn, Feel the Spook
Gammondale Farm near Thunder Bay has several opportunities to get into the fall spirit. They have a Pumpkinfest every weekend in October that includes wagon rides, pumpkin sling shots and catapults, rubber ducky races, pumpkin decorating and a BOO barn. The farm also sports a haunted cornfield Oct. 1718 and 24-26. See gammondalefarm.com for times, admission fees and more info.
You can also head to Fort William Historical Park, where from 12-5 p.m. (EST) every Saturday and Sunday in Oct. there will be a Kids’ Halloween Hoot with spooky crafts, trick-or-treating, a haunted maze, scavenger hunt and more.
Also every Thursday to Sunday night there will be Haunted Fort Night for ages 12 and older that begins at 7 p.m. (EST). See www.fwhp.ca for more info on these events.
North House Folk School Family & Intergenerational Weekend
Oct. 16-19
This weekend of special courses that appeal to kids and adults alike coincides with Minnesota’s MEA weekend. Some of the courses offered include: Beginning knitting, spinning fibers, sausage making, rug
weaving and twig furniture. A wood-fired pizza potluck and storytelling performance are popular for the all age groups.
See www.northhouse.org for more info.
Tom Christiansen’s sculptures are part of Crossing Borders Studio Tour.
Get that fall feelin’ at Gammondale Farm.
Daley, Ouradnik
Feed
Thousands flood the streets and venues of Thunder Bay’s downtown core for the Hunger Cabaret, and with a music and performance lineup bigger than ever, the organizers of this year’s event promise another unforgettable spectacle.
“This is the time to pull out all the stops for Halloween. It’s always been something that people really remember,” said David Karasiewicz, gallery
hunger
director of Definitely Superior Art Gallery, the event host.
Running in its ninth year, the Hunger Cabaret has become an entertainment staple and multi-genre platform for local, regional and a handful of out-of-town musicians and performers. More than 4,250 people attended last year to witness live burlesque, fire spinning, drag shows and dozens of other acts.
Thanks to the addition of an eighth venue, Red Lion Smokehouse, this year’s event, which falls on Halloween, has an expanded lineup of 56 performance acts, 44 bands and DJs for a cover charge of $15.
“We go from bluegrass to metal and everything in between. We were actually the first in Thunder Bay that I know of, that blended music together [with] performance acts to bring it more into the public,” said Karasiewcz, who helped launch the
first cabaret in 1998 before it expanded into a multi-venue event established as the Hunger Cabaret in 2005.
Since then, The Hunger, as it’s locally known, has seen a 1,400 percent growth in audience numbers. Karasiewcz points to what he calls a “symbiotic relationship” between Thunder Bay’s growing North Core business district and the diversity of talent in the city.
“That’s just shown that we have been educating the audiences and the people out there for this form of music because it’s never been mainstream, it’s always been alternative. It’s grown exponentially as well with the growth of the artists in the city,” he said.
The Hunger Cabaret, a fundraiser for contemporary art, runs from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.—Julia Prinselaar
“as unique as each snowflake”
Inn in Thunder Bay
Fright Fest 2014
On Oct. 18, Thunder Bay’s waterfront will transform into a haunted harbor. Participants will set out on a mission to save the city from a spreading toxin that’s been released into Lake Superior, turning people into the undead. Encountering redneck zombie hunters and other apocalyptic scenes, participants must gather the formula for the cure while escaping zombies.
Fright Fest runs from 711 p.m. at the Baggage Arts Building and Prince Arthur’s Landing. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
OCT. EVENTS
Saturday Oct. 4 • 5 PM Writer’s Salon with poet Louis Jenkins reading and discussing Tin Flag: New and Selected Prose Poems
Wednesday Oct. 8 • 5 PM - 6 PM Full Moose Reading featuring Tom McCann. Outside on the lakeshore. Friday-Saturday Oct. 17 - 18 Moose Madness.
Saturday Oct. 18 • 11 AM Moose - a - Rama with e Mu n Man.
Wednesday Oct. 22 • 6:30 p.m. Women’s Book Group. Call for title, read the book and join the discussion.
Give your creative side a vacation! Bring the tools of your craft. You
be
to set up for the
and work non-stop if you
Demonstrators will be on-site featuring different
and tools, and they will be available for help. Call for package information, or email info@naniboujou.com Check our website for future events.
Live burlesque, fire spinning and drag shows are all part of The Hunger. | DEFINITELY SUPERIOR ART GALLERY
The Thank-you Bar Dance Performance
Emily Johnson and her Minneapolis-based performance company, Catalyst, will bring their Bessie-award winning performance “The Thank-you Bar” to the Grand Marais Arrowhead Center for the Arts in late October.
A Bessie award, for those who don’t follow the dance scene, is the equivalent of an Oscar, but in dance.
The Thank-you Bar is a performance/installation of dance, live music, storytelling and visual image, connecting ideas of displacement, longing and language to history, pre-concieved notions, architecture, and igloo-myth.
The show will be very intimate. In fact, the audience will be on the stage with the performers and will be curtained off from the rest of the theatre. Only 20 people will be able to see each show. But even though the audience is super-close to the performers, there is no audience involvement.
Johnson is originally from Alaska, but is now based in Minneapolis. She grew up near the Que-Ana Bar that her grandmother owned near Clam Gulch. Quyana means “Thank you” in Yup’ik. The Que-Ana served as a fishing and hunting headquarters and had a jukebox that played country music. The Thank-you Bar performance comes out of the experiences Johnson had at the Que-Ana Bar and her thoughts about home and displacement.
After performing the Thank-you Bar throughout the U.S., Johnson went on to choreograph two more pieces, composing a trilogy of works. The second part of the trilogy, “Niicugni” will come to Grand Marais in February. Johnson and her company Catalyst received a Minnesota State Arts Board “Arts Touring” grant to bring this series of performances as well as additional workshops to Grand Marais in 2014-15.
Oct. 24-25
In addition to the performances (Friday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.), there will be additional workshops during the week in dance. In addition, Catalyst will bring part of an art exhibit called “This is Displacement” that originally toured with the Thank-you Bar. The art exhibit, originally curated by Johnson and Carolyn Lee Anderson, is a compilation of works that reveal stories about native peoples’ historical, spiritual
and physical displacement. Since the original tour of the Thank-you Bar, the Displacement art works have been returned to the artists. Johnson plans to borrow some of these again for the Grand Marais show as well as show slides of the works not currently available.
Join the Grand Marais Playhouse in welcoming Catalyst to Grand Marais, and be sure to purchase tickets for the limited-seating performances early.
The audience will sit on the stage surrounding the dancer and musicians at each of the Thank-you Bar shows. | CATALYST
Emory Lester and the Bluegrass Masters Weekend
Oct. 31-Nov. 2
Each year the North Shore Music Association sponsors a dynamic weekend for bluegrass musicians and fans at Lutsen Resort. It’s three days of jamming, punctuated by a Saturday night concert.
This year’s featured instrument is mandolin. Featured instructor is Emory Lester. In concert Saturday night, he will be joined by guitarist Marc Roy and bassist Kene Hyatt, as The Emory Lester Set. The concert is at 8 p.m. at Lutsen Resort. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth and for sale at the door only.
Emory Lester is one of the day’s foremost exponents of the acoustic mandolin. The power and attack of his playing are unmatched, and his sound is infectious. He has inspired and influenced many of today’s current wave of mandolinists, pointing the way with his clean, clear, fast and efficient mandolin techniques.
Emory is currently touring with Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa, performing shows
across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the U.K. His 14-year friendship and musical collaboration with noted clawgrass banjoist Mark Johnson has yielded four creative recording projects. Mark and Emory have toured across the U.S. and have been featured on several performances with Steve Martin, most notably on Late Night with David Letterman in September 2012.
For more about Bluegrass Masters Weekend and Emory Lester, go to www.northshoremusicassociation.com
Harbor is a full service yarn shop supplying the community with beautiful yarns, books, notions &
Check out our website and blog for classes & events website: www.yarnharborduluth.com or find us on Facebook! blog: yarnharbor.wordpress.com
Duluth, MN
Emory Lester and his mandolin will be featured at this year’s Bluegrass Masters Weekend. | COURTESY EMORY LESTER
The North Shore Dish Country Market in the City
By Kelsey Roseth
The Thunder Bay Country Market is the place to be Saturday mornings. Trust me. Or, better yet, go see for yourself. But beware: once you experience the exciting hustle and bustle filled with friendly faces, delectable smells and one-of-a-kind crafts, you may become hooked. Then, a visit to the Country Market will become a must-do weekend ritual. Say goodbye to your Saturday morning housecleaning habit. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., vendors display their handmade wares from food to hair falls (which are really unique, brightly colored hair attachments—think of a dreadlock/ponytail combo) in the Dorothy Dove Building at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition Grounds in the heart of Thunder Bay.
Food vendors include The Fish Shop, featuring fresh and Finnish-style smoked fish, the Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and Baba’s Ukrainian Kitchen with its famous fresh perogies. Craft/artisan vendors include Mustang Sally Vintage, Minowewegabow Art displaying traditional First Nations designs and CirqueWorks, a juggling supply seller. And we’ve just scratched the surface.
The market’s motto is “We Make It, Bake it, Grow it!” and the vendors stick true to their words. “Our pretzels are different because we make the dough from scratch,” said Erinn DeLorenzi, owner of The Sweet North Bakery as she fishes out a prosciutto gouda pretzel from her clear display case and hands it to an eager customer. “We roll the dough by hand, made with local flour,
and then they are brushed with local egg.”
The weekly market kicked off in the late 90s with merely 11 vendors. Since then, the market’s popularity has exploded—each week, about 6,000 people show up to shop the 100 vendor booths. “We are one of the largest tourist attractions now, and we don’t market to tourists. It’s simply word of mouth,” said Doug Stanton, chair of the
Shikha’s Kitchen (East Indian Foods, Spices) Shikha & Iqbal Hasan Thunder Bay.
up making them. That’s the kind of attention that a customer receives after establishing a connection with the vendors. “That’s one of the reasons customers come,” said Stanton, “just to be acknowledged.”
The Sweet North’s DeLorenzi contributes the market’s appeal to its fast-paced, fun atmosphere. “Going to the grocery store is a task. Going to the market is an event!” That’s true for Thunder Bay resident and regular shopper Ruth Currie. “I come to meet my friends for coffee and buy myself a treat,” she tells me, pausing to say hello to her friend Holly who was walking by. “They have excellent baking, excellent food and there’s always something new to look at. Oh, and you run into people you don’t often see,” said Currie as she waves to a friend across the crowd.
Beneath the fun and excitement, the Country Market serves a deeper purpose. There’s something to be said about the community’s massive drive to buy local. “It’s really nice that everyone’s supporting each other,” said Mallory Tetley, a Thunder Bay resident who was sampling the samo sas from Shikha’s Kitchen. “The desire to
en, and it works. “This is the best place for exposure for your business,” said Iqbal.
Stanton calls the Country Market a business training ground of sorts. “The vendors have to be ever-changing their product,” said Stanton. “If one vendor notices another vendor is getting the upper hand, the remedy is to make the product better.”
The Sweet North is one of those Country Market success stories. The business began simply as a market vendor and ever since, business has boomed. DeLorenzi is now planning to open a storefront on Court Street near River Road this month.
To join the Country Market fan club and find your first reason to become hooked, peruse the lengthy vendor list at thunderbaycountrymarket.com. See you Saturday.
foods primarily at the country market. Owners Shikha and Iqbal Hasan refuse to use artificial food colors, peanut oil or MSG. “We try to be authentic. We cook from scratch, and at the same time we blend our own spices.” The Country Mar ket is the main location for Shikha’s Kitch
The Fish Shop (Fresh & Smoked Fish) Liisa Karkkainen, Thunder Bay.
Hank Shaw Talks Wild Game
Interview by Shawn Perich
Many folks across the Northern Wilds are just discovering the wonderful wild game available in our forests and marshes. As with any food, wild game is what you make of it. Too often, folks new to cooking game wind up with dishes that are overcooked and unappetizingly dry, or smothered beyond recognition with a can of cream of mushroom soup. We contacted wild game aficionado Hank Shaw, the author of two books, “Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast” and “Duck, Duck, Goose: Recipes and Techniques for Ducks and Geese, both Wild and Domesticated,” and asked him a few questions about preparing wild game, You can learn more about Shaw at his website, honest-food.net.
When processing a deer, what steps can I take to improve the flavor of venison?
First off, gut the animal in the field. The moment the animal is down, it’s meat in the making. Don’t haul the whole deer into the back of your truck to show your buddies. Gut it then and there. And don’t forget to keep the heart and liver! (Bring a plastic bag for that, and keep a little cooler in your truck to put them in.)
Get the deer as cool as possible (without freezing it solid)
as fast as possible. Saw open the ribcage at the sternum if you won’t be getting the meat to a cool place quickly. Prop it open with a stick; this will cool it faster.
If you have access to a walk-in cooler or if daytime temperatures won’t get higher than 40 degrees or so, hang your deer for at least a few days before skinning. Keeping the skin on preserves more meat, but you do need cooler temperatures. If the temperatures are above 45 degrees or so, skin the deer and hang it. You’ll lose some meat as a “rind” forms, but this aging process will tenderize the meat. Hanging is especially important with big bucks—an old deer should hang at least a week, and up to three under the right conditions.
Don’t trim off the fat until you test it! Lots of whitetails eat grain and such, and their fat is virtually indistinguishable from beef or lamb fat. Muleys and deer in arid environments are another matter. Cut off a piece of fat and put it into a little frying pan that has some water in it. Bring the water to a boil, which will render out some fat. Smell it. If it smells gawdawful, trim all the fat from your deer. But chances are it will be pretty mild. The best venison sausage I ever made was from a whitetail doe—no pork fat at all, only venison and deer fat. It was a revelation.
Is it safe to eat wild game cooked “rare”?
If you are talking about red meats, absolutely. Remember the interior of a piece of meat is sterile, so any bacteria on the surface of the meat is killed when you cook the meat. An exception to this is bear and wild pig: Both can carry trichinae parasites, so you need to freeze these meats hard for a few weeks before it’s safe to eat them pink; I like my wild boar and black bear backstrap cooked medium, which is about 145 degrees.
Is there any way to make a wild duck or goose taste better?
I find this amusing because I think ducks and geese are the finest tasting wild game in North America, with the possible exception of ruffed grouse. But you need to remember a few things about waterfowl: First, there are an awful lot of species out there, and each has a different diet... AND many of the same species will have varied diets depending on where they live. Mallards are just as happy eating corn as they are clams. In general, seed-eating birds are the finest flavored: green- and blue-winged teal, wood ducks, pintail, and specklebelly geese are all sure bets.
You also need to stop thinking of waterfowl as birds. Think of them as beef: The breasts are like a steak and should be cooked medium-rare to medium, and the legs and wings are like brisket, which should be cooked slow in moist heat. If you remember that, you will not be sorry.
What is the best advice you can give someone who is cooking wild game for the first time?
Don’t overcook tender cuts like backstraps or bird breasts. You can always cook it a little longer if you’ve grossly undercooked it, but you can’t take it back once it’s overcooked.
The Omega Essentials
By Kim Falter
Diet crazes always seem to fascinate us. Years ago it was the Atkins diet, then it was the Mediterranean, and now we have gluten-free and Paleo diets. What is interesting is that at their core, they all seem to convey the same thing: eat basic, clean, whole foods. The theory is that our bodies have not quite caught up to the current influx of processed foods. If the food on your plate needs explanation, if you don’t know what is listed as an ingredient on its packaging, it isn’t really something that your body recognizes as food.
In the modern American diet, it is difficult to avoid these unnatural ingredients. If you ponder for a moment what your ancestors once ate, you won’t see partially hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup, you will see real food, a lot of the time grown or hunted by their own hands. In Minnesota, a place with many lakes, rivers and streams, fish is and has been an important part of our diet, and fish are one of the only sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fat for human health.
Every single cell in the human body, all 60-90 trillion of them, is encased and protected by Omega-3 fatty acids. Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) are essential to human life and consist primarily of Omega-3s and Omega-6s. The problem arises in our balance between the two Omegas. Our bodies function optimally with twice as much Omega-3 than Omega-6, but according to the Mayo Clinic, “In Western diets, people eat about 10 times more Omega-6 fatty acids than Omega-3 fatty acids.” Omega-6s aren’t bad, they are essential, but in the levels that we currently consume, they have the tendency to create an imbalance in the body. For optimal health we need to increase our intake of Omega-3 food sources while attempting to decrease those foods high in Omega-6s.
It is no secret that our oceans suffer from pollution and that fish are easily exposed to this. Basic biology reveals that most living things store toxins in fat cells, and Omega-3s are just that: the fat of the fish. This implies we need to be particularly mindful of the supplements we choose and the fish that we consume. Fish and omega oil supplements are not created equal.
The American Heart Association recommends healthy adults consume fish at least twice a week, which amounts to approximately 3.5 ounces of cooked fish. Omega-3 supplementation is an option if this level of fish consumption is not always feasible. Yet choosing the right supplement can be overwhelming when perusing all those bottles, especially when attempting to choose based on quality. The next time you find yourself in the market for an Omega-3 supplement, look for one in the triglyceride form, as this is a natural form that your body recognizes, and according to research, is absorbed 70 percent more than in the more common ethyl ester form. Ethyl esters are synthetic and have only been in our diet for two decades and their long-term effects are unknown. It is incredibly important that the manufacturer can supply a Certificate of Analysis on the batch of fish oil you have purchased. Toxins concentrate in the fat, and although it is impossible to remove all traces of toxins, a Certificate of Analysis will at least ensure that exposure is at a safe level for human consumption.
A recent study reported high levels of mercury in babies born in Cook County. Fishing is an important part of life here, yet our fish are known to contain high levels of mercury. Further studies are being conducted, but what is important currently is knowing what kinds of fish are safe to eat. It would stand to reason that to increase our Omega-3 levels we would want to eat fish that are high in fat. Yet as we just learned, toxins (i.e. mercury) are stored in the fat.
How much Fish can I eat?
ONE PER WEEK:
Purchased Fish: Canned Light Tuna
Lake Superior Fish: Whitefish, Menominee, Brown Trout, Lake Trout (less than 22”), Chinook (less than 32”)
What we want to do, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, is maximize the benefits of Omega-3s while minimizing those with high levels of mercury. Below is a list of fish-eating guidelines for women who are, or may become pregnant, and children under the age of 15 from the Minnesota Department of Health. Though specific to women and children, it gives us an understanding of those fish that are more beneficial for consumption and those to limit.
Did you know that the highest level of Omega-3s in your body is in your eyes? There is no doubt the importance of these essential fats to human health. Just be mindful of the choices you make and enjoy the luck of living in an area so rich with fish.
Kim Falter is the wellness coordinator at Cook County Whole Foods Co-op.
Towering Pines Canopy Tour
Towering Pines Canopy Tour at Gunflint Lodge is the most exciting new way to experience the wilderness get a bird’s eye view plus a thrilling ride through the treetops! It’s a two-and-a-half hour nature adventure led by two sky guides.
Closing for the season Oct. 19. $89.00 per person Call 218-388-2296 for reservations.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner available at Red Paddle Bistro.
Gunflint Lodge is 43 miles up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais.
Minimum age is 10; maxiumum weight/person is 240 lbs.
Night Owls Embracing the Night Life
BY JULIA PRINSELAAR
Whether for fear or fatigue, most people shy away from the idea of earning a paycheck at three o’clock in the morning. But many professionals—cab drivers, paramedics, airplane pilots and bartenders—are often just getting started. They join the cast of nightshift workers who typically find themselves working with people—other night owls seeking a ride, a drink, a midnight snack—or the aid of a medical professional. It is the people, say the night owls, that keep them going through the wee hours.
ADELLE MACSEMCHUK
Support worker at Shelter House, Thunder Bay
It’s not a typical situation where one would expect to find a teenager, but 19-yearold Adelle Macsemchuk has been staffing the overnight shift as a support worker at a Thunder Bay homeless shelter for nearly a year.
“We advocate for our clients and make sure that their basic needs are met,” Macsemchuk says.
Just a few blocks from City Hall, Shelter House provides 24-hour services, including temporary emergency shelter to accommodate up to 62 men, women and youth ages 16 to 18. Meals are served twice daily to approximately 200 visitors from the community at each serving time. Additionally there is a breakfast program for shelter clients and 24-hour access to food is made available at the door.
“On average we have 50 or so clients. Towards the end of the night, then it does get full,” said Macsemchuk, who works alongside one other support worker and a supervisor during her shift. “Since there are 60-something people in the building, there are a lot of personalities, and sometimes they’ll clash. We use problem-solving, de-escalation to handle crises and whatever comes about. Every night it’s never the same.”
At the age of 10, Macsemchuk began spending time with Thunder Bay’s homeless population through Grace Place City Church, a street ministry run by her parents that offers free homemade meals, clothing and a non-denominational church service at a location not far from Shelter House.
“It’s basically the same population at the
Shelter House. I had been volunteering there [at the church] since 2008 and I branched off to Shelter House through my placement at school…and I love it,” she said.
The overnight shift was at first foreign, but support from her coworkers and her love of working with the clients is what keeps her going, she says.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it alone, that’s for sure,” she said. “It’s just great getting to know all the clients, to find out where they came from and to hear their stories. It’s just really amazing to see how positive they can be in their situations—they can just be so happy and energetic every day, and meanwhile I get off the night shift and I’m really tired. You learn something from them. Make the best of your situation.”
NANCY ALBRIGHT
Nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital
For nearly 35 years, Nancy Albright has been providing bedside care to patients at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth.
Currently staffing the oncology and hospice wards from 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., Albright says that the late hours often bear the toughest moments for terminally ill and cancer patients.
“It’s different every night—you never know what’s going to happen,” said Albright, who oversees between four and six patients at a time with one to two other nurses.
“I work a lot with the families too. A lot of times at night, especially at hospice, they are there. But otherwise it’s caring for our patients, whatever they need. A lot of times with oncology patients and with hospice patients, nights are hard. And so you’re sitting and talking with them along with caring for
them. It’s not just the physical caring, it’s emotional. The nights get long, pain gets always worse. So we’re doing anything that we can do to keep them comfortable,” she said.
With more than three decades of night shifts under her belt, Albright says her line of work always has her prepared for the unexpected.
“Nights with full moons are always fun. You really never know what’s going to happen,” she says.
Albright recalled a time when a patient’s blood sugar was getting low and he barricaded himself in a room.
“[Patients] get confused during the night sometimes. He thought people outside were going to get him,” she said, adding that hospital staff and security eventually talked the man into opening the door. “So we get those things every once in a while. He was fine the rest of the night, but those kinds of things happen.”
Has she mastered the art of staying awake? Albright says she makes sure to get least five-and-a-half hours of sleep the night before her shift—an impressive amount considering her line of duty, but an obvious sign of honed expertise.
“You just kind of get on a roll. I don’t usually have a problem,” she offers. “Between four and five a.m., those are the worst hours, and you just have to get up and do something different.”
Despite working in a supervisory role for three years, Albright returned to the floor as a registered nurse.
“I missed the patient care,” she said. After all these years, it’s the patients who keep her going through the wee hours.
“Just being with them, being able to talk with them and help them through whatever their problem is that night, I just really enjoy it. And I just prefer nights. You have everybody you need, you’ve got all the people to back you up. Days, they’re just too chaotic.”
MICHAH DOWBAK Aka Dustbuster
For DJ and music producer Michah Dowbak, there is no such thing as a typical night.
“But it often consists of headphones and a bright screen mixing in the night, or adventuring home after a gig,” he says.
Dowbak, who performs under the name Dustbuster, lives in Toronto but regularly spins a mix of hip-hop, house, disco and indie music at bars and venues in his hometown of Thunder Bay.
His line of work keeps him up late—34 hours without sleep is his personal record— catering to screens, lights, a steady stream of bass, and crowds of dancers in the electronic music scene.
What keeps him going isn’t the energy cracked from a can of Red Bull, but the spark of an idea when he’s producing music or editing video.
“It’s mostly motivation to finish an idea. I get locked in and I won’t let myself sleep until I’m happy. That, and keeping a dance floor going,” he said.
Like other professionals who opt to work the night shift, Dowbak finds the night “friendly and calming.”
“I love the air at night and the lack of traffic and daily grind,” Dowbak said. “Me and my pillow are really good friends, and I can sleep in daylight.”
Northern Wilds Calendar of Events October
Through Oct. 5
Crossing Borders Studio Tour Duluth to Grand Portage www.crossingbordersstudiotour.com
Through October 12
“Walking With Our Sisters,” an exhibit of moccasin vamps honoring murdered and missing indigenous women. Thunder Bay Art Gallery www.tbag.ca
Oct. 1, Wednesday
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Boz Scaggs The Memphis Tour Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
7:30 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Eric Frost Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 3, Friday
Eric Frost Cascade Lodge Pub
7:30 p.m. www.cascadelodgemn.com
Joe Paulik Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 3-Nov. 2
Smith-Daley-Ouradnik
Multi-generation Exhibit at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery Grand Marais Artists’ Reception Oct. 3, 5-7 p.m. www.johnsonheritagepost.org
Oct. 4, Saturday
Cook County Farm and Craft Market Grand Marais Senior Center Parking Lot 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tour d’Art Home Tour and Reception Hosted by Grand Marais Art Colony For Tickets and Information see www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
Cook County ATV Club Fall Color Ride Meet at Trestle Inn 11 a.m. Call 218-387-9844 for more info.
Raku Firing at Sivertson Gallery Grand Marais 10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.sivertson.com
Writer’s Salon with Poet Louis Jenkins Drury Lane Books Grand Marais 5 p.m. www.drurylanebooks.com
North Shore Music Association
Silent Auction Arrowhead Center for the Arts Lobby Grand Marais 6 p.m. www. northshoremusicassociation.com
John Mark Nelson and his four-piece band at Arrowhead Center for the Arts 7:30 p.m. www.northshoremusicassociation.com
Michael Monroe Log Cabin Concert Greater Grand Marais 7 p.m. Reservations at 218-388-2919 www.michaelmonroemusic.com
Joe Paulik Music by the fireplace Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Canadian Thanksgiving at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino www.grandportage.com
Oct. 11, Saturday
Lutsen Fall Bike Ride Cathedral of the Pines Camp Lutsen 11 a.m. Potluck mid-afternoon. Many ride options available. Contact Mike Larson (mikelarson@boreal.org) for more info.
Cook County Farm and Craft
Market Grand Marais Senior Center
Parking Lot 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Eric Frost Music by the fireplace Lutsen Resort 7-10 p.m. www.lutsenresort.com
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Cook County Historical Society’s 90th Annual Meeting and Dinner. The Landing at Devil Track Resort. Make reservations before Oct. 10 www.cookcountyhistory.org (218) 387-2883
Gordon Thorne and Bob Bingham Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 16, Thursday
Gordon Thorne Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Oct. 16-19
Family Weekend at North House Folk School Grand Marais www.northhouse.org
Oct. 17, Friday
Kelly Dupre Signs “The Best Part of a Sauna” at Sivertson Gallery
Grand Marais 11:30-2 p.m. www.sivertson.com
Thunderheads Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Jim and Michelle Miller
Cascade Lodge Pub 7:30 p.m.
www.cascadelodgemn.com
Michael Monroe Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 17-19
Moose Madness Family Festival Grand Marais
Oct. 18, Saturday
Cook County Farm and Craft
Market Grand Marais Senior Center
Parking Lot 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Moose-a-Rama with The Muffin
Man Drury Lane Books Grand Marais 11 a.m.
www.drurylanebooks.com
Betsy Bowen Signs “Plant a Pocket of Prairie” at Sivertson Gallery
Menopause The Musical Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 8 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Oct. 20, Monday
David Suzuki Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7 p.m. (EST) www.tbca.com
Joe Paulik Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 22, Wednesday
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Women’s Book Group Drury Lane Books Grand Marais 6:30 p.m. www.drurylanebooks.com
Gordon Thorne and Bob Bingham Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 23, Thursday
Billy Johnson Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Oct. 24, Friday
Eric Frost Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Clearwater Hot Club Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Oct. 24-25
Catalyst Dance performs The THANK-YOU BAR at Arrowhead Center for the Arts in Grand Marais. Performances Oct 24 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Oct. 25 at 2 and 7 p.m. Blackfish Concert Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. www.arrowheadcenterforthearts.org
Oct. 25, Saturday
Clearwater Hot Club Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 8:30 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Oct. 27, Monday
Pete Kavanaugh Bluefin Grille Tofte 8-10 p.m.
Oct. 29, Wednesday
Open Mic Gun Flint Tavern Grand Marais 5-7 p.m. www.gunflinttavern.com
Opening Reception for Members Show at the Grand Marais Art Colony 5 p.m. www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
Oct. 30-November 23
Members Show at the Grand Marais Art Colony www.grandmaraisartcolony.org
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
Oct. 31- Nov. 1
Halloween Open Bonspiel Cook County Curling Club Grand Marais
The fall season is now upon us, and for hunters in Northwestern Ontario that is a good thing.
However, the 2014 season is going to be a different experience for a few long-time hunters. Especially if your favourite quarry is moose.
The moose herd in Northwestern Ontario has been on a downturn for some time, and this has impacted available tags. Not that very long ago, the provincial herd was thought to be about 100,000 moose, with around half found in the northwest portion of Ontario. The latest count from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is just under 83,000 moose, with about 40,000 of those in the northwest. Those numbers don’t sound too terrible at first blush, but the news is not good for several Wildlife Management Units. Last winter, the MNR flew 25 aerial surveys in several provincial units and found much lower moose numbers than expected in several of them. That led to an 18 percent cut in adult tags across the province. The largest and most unexpected cut to tags came to WMU 13. This unit surrounds Thunder Bay, and has historically had good moose numbers and habitat. It is also a key unit for resident moose hunters from the Thunder Bay region.
In WMU 13, adult tags were cut from
just over 1,100 in 2013, to 125 for the 2014 season. This cut equalled an 88 percent reduction in moose tags. Although there was some negative response, most hunters, I believe, have been seeing fewer moose the past few years, and realized the herd needed a time out. Some do wonder if the very deep snow conditions this winter had pushed the moose into the thick swamps and out of sight of the MNR aerial surveyors. Yet few will deny the moose herd is way down from where it was in the 1990s. Dryden area WMU’s 5 and 8 also saw adult moose tags cut quite a lot, although available tags in those units were already scarce. The bottom line is there are still moose to hunt, and tags available, but many hunters this fall will be chasing their quarry in new areas.
The reasons for the moose decline in the northwest remain a mystery, but many blame the increase in the deer herd. There can be no doubt the past decade saw deer numbers explode in northwestern Ontario. In the 1970s, deer were extremely rare in the region, and they only started to show in any numbers during the 1990s. Yet from about 2000 on, the deer population spiked, with especially high herd numbers in Fort Frances, Dryden and Kenora.
However, the past two winters have taken a serious toll on the deer herd. In fact, Bruce Ranta, a retired MNR biologist and long time deer hunter from Kenora, thinks the herd may be down as much as 70 percent in his area.
“The past winter was a really severe one, and we were already coming off a bad winter,” says Ranta. “In some prime areas, my friends and I are seeing no deer sign at all.” Ranta says he has also noted a decrease in large bucks, something he says is natural after a long, cold winter. He says bucks and fawns are the most vulnerable to both star-
There are still some nice bucks out there. | GORD ELLIS
vation and predation by wolves.
Although deer numbers are down in many units, there is still a population to hunt. Around Thunder Bay for instance, the deer have done remarkably well, considering the extreme snow depths and cold the past two years. This may be due to the deer moving to more urban areas in the winter, or it may be just good luck. On my own trail cams, in two different hunting areas near Thunder Bay, there are a surprising number of both
does with fawns, with mature bucks showing up as well. Dryden, Fort Frances, Emo and Kenora also have deer, even if the herd is well down from what it was a decade ago.
All in all, the situation this fall looks to be a bit more challenging than in recent memory, but not impossible. A good hunter adjusts techniques and—if need be—location, to ensure success.
Good luck this fall.
A Bird on My Hand
By Mary Bevis Illustrations by Consie Powell Raven Productions, Inc., 2014
For any child excited about nature and interacting with nature, “A Bird on My Hand” will serve as an inspiration. The newest picture book from Raven Productions tells the story of a child who wants to feed the chickadees at Grandma’s cabin, just like Grandma does. But this takes patience.
With beautiful illustrations (woodcuts by Ely artist Consie Powell), this story also provides a learning experience for children about birds, chickadees in particular. A nonfiction section at the back describes how you might learn to feed birds by hand and more about chickadees and their behavior.—Erin
Altemus
45 Years of Hunting and Fishing History
From the Pages of Minnesota
Outdoor News
2014, Outdoor News, Inc. $21.95
Take an extraordinary stroll down Memory Lane through the pages of Minnesota Outdoor News, which has been published weekly since 1967. Going chronologically through the years, the book contains hundreds of clippings and excerpts of outdoor events, tidbits and milestones. North Shore readers will see familiar faces throughout the book, including Gunflint Trail legend Justine Kerfoot, who wrote for the paper for many years; Bernard Larsen of Grand Marais, who caught a state record rainbow trout in 1972; and even a 2007 shot of the Northern Wilds folks with Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern.
—Shawn Perich
Keystones of the Stone Arch Bridge
By Carolyn Ruff Illustrations by Christie Washam Minnesota Historical Society Press,
2014
For ages 7-12
This story about 10-year-old Fritz, is set at the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River near downtown Minneapolis. Fritz feels burdened at a young age with helping to bring his sisters and mother from Sweden to America, an expensive undertaking. Fritz asks his uncle for a job as a stonemason on the crew building the Stone Arch Bridge. Fritz finds fossils in the limestone that he builds with and learns about the area’s history, including flour milling, slavery and about the area’s animals.
Young readers will enjoy learning more about the history built in to the Stone Arch Bridge as its told through a young person’s voice.—Erin Altemus
WHY GO: This little lake off the Gunflint Trail and inside the Superior National Forest, nestled between Poplar Lake and Hungry Jack Lake, is easy to reach and has populations of rainbow trout and walleye worth targeting.
ACCESS: There is a carry-in access on the northeast corner of the lake, just off C.R. 65/Hungry Jack Road, less than a mile north of the Gunflint Trail. There is roadside parking, down the road a little ways from the access, for four vehicles.
VITALS: This 102-acre lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet, and is fairly clear. For a lake of its size, it has quite a bit of water that’s at least 15 feet deep. The Minnesota DNR last surveyed the lake in 2010 and found water clarity to be 13 feet.
GAME SPECIES PRESENT: Rainbow trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, green sunfish.
RAINBOW FUN: Steve Persons, Grand Marais area DNR fisheries supervisor, said annual stockings of rainbow trout yearlings have paid off. “It’s been a pretty reliable trout lake for a very long time.” Persons said most of the rainbows, which are stocked in May, average between three quarters of a pound and a pound and a quarter. “There are a few bigger fish,” he said. “We have heard of a few rainbow trout in the 20-inch range, but that’s very rare.”
WALLEYE PERSISTING: Persons said that the lake has a population of naturally-reproducing walleye, though the fish were not originally swimming in the lake. But illegal stockings, along with that of smallmouth bass, have continued their presence in the lake, despite the lake being poisoned at least twice since 1957. The lake’s most recent assessment in 2010 turned up both young and adult walleye, including a fish that was at least 25 inches.
LOST IDENTITY: Persons said the lake was first stocked with trout of one kind or another in the 1930s. The lake was first surveyed in 1957, at which point there were bass, walleye and bluegill in the lake, none of which are believed to have occurred naturally in there. “We don’t know what
LEO LAKE
was originally in the lake,” Persons said. The lake once was experimentally stocked with Kokanee and coho salmon back in the 1970s. “Neither was particularly successful,” Persons said. They are long gone. As are splake, which were last stocked in the lake in 2002. “Once bass and walleye got in there, splake no longer worked,” Person said. The 2010 survey turned up a bunch of small green sunfish, and even a single bluegill, though such panfish generally don’t do well this far north, Persons said.
SMALLIES, TOO: Persons said smallmouth bass have also persisted at the lake, thanks to
illegal stockings. A single smallmouth turned up in DNR’s 2010 survey, but that’s doesn’t mean they are in small numbers. “We see them in our nets, but our sample isn’t designed to catch them.” Smallmouth bass are generally disruptive to trout in a lake setting, but Persons said they don’t appear to be affecting Leo’s rainbow population.—Javier Serna
Heat Holders Thermal Leggings
MSRP $14.99
www.heatholders.com
These leggings double as long underwear or tights, depending on your mood or your needs. They are made from an advanced insulating yarn and have a soft, fleecelike inner lining. If you’re looking for something a little warmer to wear with a skirt this fall or winter, this is it. And for the price, they are a great insulating layer to wear under jeans as well. They come in black, navy, brown and purple for all your wardrobe needs. —Erin Altemus
ThermoCore Self-heating Floor Mat
MSRP $18.99-$39.99 www.newagepet.net
This is a foam pad with a layer of thermal reflective material covered with a soft plush removable material that dogs will love to sleep on. Faced with a multitude of sleeping spots around the house, our dogs choose the ThermoCore mat every time. As winter approaches and the floor gets cooler, the reflective pad should keep the heat going back toward the dog and not let it escape into the floor. These pads also make an easy mat for a dog carrier. I’m fairly sure that each of my dogs would like one of these for Christmas. —Erin
Altemus
Adventure Medical Kit .5 MSRP
Pocket Survival Pak MSRP $34.00 www.adventuremedicalkits.com
First, go read “Lost in the Wild” by Cary Griffiths about two separate men that both become lost in the Northern Wilds (one on the PowWow Trail near Isabella and the other in Quetico). After reading, you will want a survival kit to take any time you go in the woods, be it for hunting, hiking, canoeing, and snowmobiling. Heck, you could even be stranded in your car in a snowstorm and you would want this. You just never know what can happen, and having some essential tools—a signal mirror, fire sparker and tinder firestarter, rescue whistle, nylon cord, a tiny compass, scalpel blade, fish hook and much more—just may save your life.
Adventure Medical Kits makes both survival kits and first-aid kits in many different sizes for all kinds of different needs. The Medical Kit .5 is great for a solo adventurer and provides the basic necessities for on-site wound care, as well as mole skin for blisters and basic medication.
Both of these kits weigh a mere 3 ounces. Be prepared for the unexpected.—Erin Altemus
Exploring Barbados
By Elle Andra-Warner
White sand beaches, turquoise waters and basking in warm sunshine. If you think that Barbados, the small pear-shaped coral island in the North Atlantic Ocean—the easternmost of the Caribbean Islands—is one of those stereotypical year-round tropical paradises, you are right … and well, also wrong.
An island only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide just northeast of Venezuela, Barbados is much more than its gorgeous white sand beaches, warm turquoise waters and palm trees. For starters, history buffs will enjoy its rich fusion of African and British history and culture that goes back almost 400 years. And for day-tripping aficionados, there are the amazing natural wonders like the Harrison’s Caves; world-class attractions including The Concorde Experience; architectural treasures; and high-tech museums. And then there are the thousands of uniquely Barbadian brightly-colored rum shops, scattered all over the island serving traditional local dishes like cou cou and flying fish, Pudding & Sauce, Jug Jug and cutters (my ‘fried flying fish cutter’ was delicious at Frankie’s Bar & Canteen across the road from the airport).
Barbados was first settled by the English in 1627. Thirteen years later the first commercial sugar cane was planted and by 1660, there were 53,000 people on the island, as well as more than 1,000 plantations, 500 windmills and the busy port of Little Bristol (now Speighstown) which welcomed over 200 ships every year. From the 1700s onward, slaves were in the majority with a 5 to 1 ratio.
To get an overview of Barbados history before setting out to explore the island, I visited the three-story Arlington House Museum in Speighstown. Built in the 1750s for a merchant family, it is now a cultural landmark that uses three themed floors to tell the island’s history: “Store Memories”
for the business life; “Planation Memories” telling the good, bad and everything in-between about colonization, sugar plantations and slavery; and the top floor’s “Wharf Memories’” invoking a dock scene when the town was a busy ocean-trading hub.
If I could pick only one Barbados attraction to visit, it would be traveling underground to see the limestone crystallized cavern of the world-class Harrison’s Caves.
An electric tram-train, with a driver and tour guide, took us on a mile-long journey through a system of dark tunnels to specially lighted areas where we slowed down, and occasionally stopped, to see stalactites and stalagmites, cave ‘rooms’ with names like Great Hall and Crystal Room, flowing streams, deep ponds and even a 40-foot waterfall.
We explored the eastern and northeastern parts of the island with a guided all-day
Adventure Island Safari tour. Before heading out to the Bajan countryside, we stopped at the Lion on Gun Hill, a 10-foot lion statue carved out of coral in 1868 by a British officer. All the while we kept a lookout for the island’s wild green monkeys, first brought over with the slaves 350 years ago and now numbering between 5,000 and 8,000.
I particularly enjoyed the tour’s longer stopover at the famous white sand beaches of Bathsheda, where huge Atlantic waves rolled in continuously. Dotted along the shore were massive formations that look like boulders but actually are pieces of ancient coral. Bathsheba is also internationally known for its world-class surfing site known as the “Soup Bowl.”
The next day we headed over to the St. Nicholas Abbey for a glimpse of colonial life on a sugar cane plantation. Built around 1658 (just over 30 years after Barbados was
first settled), the beautiful mansion house is the oldest Jacobean house in the Western Hemisphere. After a brief guided tour of the mansion’s main floor (the only floor open to public), I roamed around the grounds, drank a rum punch in the Terrace Café and chuckled at the outside old communal bath house and four-seat lavatory.
Behind the mansion is the Rum, Sugar and Molasses Bond that houses a gift shop and theatre. But it was a document in the small museum inside that was a stark reminder of the reality of slavery—a chattel inventory listing the plantation’s 184 slaves and carefully written beside each, their value in pounds. Here at the Abbey, as elsewhere on Barbados, the sensitive history of slavery is open and upfront.
Barbados is a great Caribbean destination for a whole lot of reasons besides having some of the world’s best beaches.
[LEFT] The famous Bathsheba Rock is a huge piece of broken-off ancient coral. [RIGHT] A tram transportation system takes you through dark tunnels to specially-lighted areas where you can see cave ‘rooms’. | ELLE ANDRA-WARNER
northern sky
OCTOBER 2014
By Deane Morrison— MINNESOTA STARWATCH
The moon puts on two spectacular shows this month: a total lunar eclipse and a partial solar eclipse.
The lunar eclipse happens in the wee hours of the 8th, as the full Hunter’s Moon glides through the northern part of Earth’s shadow. The Earth’s inner shadow—the umbra—swallows the moon between 4:15 a.m. and 5:25 a.m. The moon begins its exit of the umbra at 6:24, and is just a few minutes from slipping completely free when it sets at 7:26 a.m.
Even more exciting, the partial eclipse of the sun on the 23rd gives us a chance to see a much rarer sight: a partially eclipsed sun setting. For the Twin Cities area, the moon takes its first bite out of the sun at 4:23 p.m., and maximum eclipse is at 5:35 p.m., when almost 52 percent of the sun’s face will be covered. In Ely, the show should be at least as good, and the stilleclipsed sun will set at 6:06 p.m.
The usual precautions for watching a solar eclipse apply: Do not observe it directly without sufficient eye protection. For lunar eclipses, no special precautions are necessary.
In the southwestern evening sky, watch the distance between Mars and Antares, its stellar rival, widen. Better hurry, though; Antares is sinking fast and will be hard to find by mid-month.
In the predawn sky, Jupiter is climbing in the southeast, followed by the bright star Regulus, in Leo. See if you can make out the Sickle of stars outlining the lion’s head—Regulus is at its base. For maximum effect, try on the 18th or 19th; a waning crescent moon appears near the pair on both mornings.
Look for the Orionid meteors streaming from the south, near the raised club of Orion, after midnight on the 21st and 22nd. With a comfortable reclining chair and a moderate amount of patience, you could enjoy up to 20 meteors an hour.
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.
available year-round from Grand Marais airport. Fall colors, moose sighting, special requests. Contact 218-370-0373 or 218-387-3024 for info. www.SawtoothAviation.com
Strange Tales
The Strange History of Halloween
By Elle AndraWarner
Ever wondered how Halloween with its quirky costumes, trick-or-treating, jack-olanterns and association with ghosts, fairies and demons got started? Halloween is the second most profitable commercial season in the United States, generating in 2008 a whopping $5.77 billion. (Christmas is first.) Halloween sounds very North American, but surprisingly Halloween’s origin, history and roots go back thousands of years in Celtic Ireland, Scotland and Europe.
According to folklorists and some historians, Halloween is one of the world’s oldest celebrations, having evolved from the ancient Celtic harvest festival Samhain (pronounced Sow-in, it meant “summer’s end”) in Ireland, which was held from sunset on Oct. 31 (the end of the Celtic year) to sunset on Nov. 1 (the beginning of a new Celtic year).
During Samhain, Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead and supernatural was lifted, and that spirits, fairies and demons could return to visit our world. Legendary folklore says the strange history of Halloween goes back to the ancient times when these Celtic people lived on the lands we now call Ireland, Scotland, Wales, northern France and Brittany. Old Celtic customs at Samhain included masquerades (with masks/costumes so unfriendly spirits could not identify them), parades, huge bonfires and dancing by the fire.
When Romans conquered the Celtic lands just before the birth of Jesus Christ, they merged their festivals honoring the dead with the Celtic practices. Hundreds of years later, Christianity swept across the formerly Celtic lands and in the 9th century,
rather than obliterate the ancient customs, the Church adapted them into their own feasts and remembrances. Nov. 1 became All Saints Day, honoring all saints and later renamed All Hallows; Nov. 2 became All Souls’ Day, a day of prayer to honor the dead. And interestingly, the evening of Oct. 31—which had been the start of the ancient Samhain—now was called All Hallows Eve (E’en); sometime in the 18th century, this morphed into the name Hallowe’en, then finally Halloween. Also by the 18th century, Halloween had shifted from being something for adults to an event for children and the unwelcome practice of pranking had crept into the evening’s activities.
The roots of trick-or-treating go back to late medieval England with the ritual of “souling,” an extension of the medieval practice of ‘mumming’ (fancy-dressed masked people paraded the streets, entered houses to dance and play dice). Souling would happen on Nov. 1, when poor folk (in later years, it was masqueraders and children) would go door-to-door, singing “souling” songs and begging for “soul cake” (small round sweet breads). In return, these “soulers” would say a prayer on Nov. 2 for the dead relatives of the householder. (A bit of trivia: In 1963, the famous folk group Peter, Paul and Mary recorded a version of traditional 1891 soul song, titled “A’Soalin.”)
A precursor to modern Halloween-costumed trick-or-treating is the old-world Scottish custom of “guising” dating back to the 16th century. That’s when groups of young men, wearing grotesque masks and carrying scooped-out carved turnip candle-lanterns (first Jack-O-Lanterns) would go door-todoor through villages, singing and asking “Please help the guisers,” and being rewarded with goodies like apples, nuts, and money.
Halloween and its customs, like guising, came across the ocean to North America in the mid-1800s when large numbers of Irish, Scottish and English immigrants settled here. And by the early 1900s, Halloween was celebrated across Canada and the U.S. by people regardless of background or religion. In English-speaking North America,
the earliest reference to guising was in 1911 when a Canadian newspaper in Kingston, Ont. reported small children street guising on Halloween. In 1919, the first book-length history of Halloween was written by America’s Ruth Edna Kelley (“The Book of Halloween”), and 16 years later the first known printed reference to trick-or-treat appeared in a story from Blackie, Alberta, published in Lethbridge Herald on Nov. 4, 1927.
So, what is the Minnesota connection to the strange history of Halloween? Well, back in 1937, the small town of Anoka, a northern suburb of Minneapolis-St. Paul, took a bold step: it declared itself the “Halloween Capital of the World,” and its unique status was recognized by Congress.
And why did Anoka get the title? As the story goes, in 1919 the townspeople were very upset when again, they woke up after Halloween night to find their windows egged, missing gates, cattle roaming loose on
the main street and outhouses tipped over. The annual mayhem by Halloween pranksters had to stop. How? The civic leaders came up with a radical plan: an all-day Halloween festival with a parade and free goodies to children who participated. Anoka was the first U.S. city to put on a Halloween celebration to “divert its youngsters from Halloween pranks”—and it worked. Today, 94 years later, Anoka (population 17,142 in 2010 census) still claims the title of The Halloween Capital of the World, with its weeklong festivities being the oldest, continuing Halloween celebrations in the U.S. (missing only war years of 1943-44).
So this Halloween when you hand out treats to the costumed children who come knocking on your door, remember you are carrying on quirky, somewhat strange customs that have evolved over thousands of years.
All Souls Day at a cemetary in Slovakia. | STOCK PHOTO
Conservation Officer has a Full Day’s Work
Story and Photo by Joseph Friedrichs
On what he considered a typical morning at the office,
Darin Fagerman, a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, loaded his gear for a work-related trip to the remote reaches of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, drove to a secluded section of the Superior National Forest to check an active bear-bait site, made the final choice on how to handle a wolf that had been trapped and killed that morning, traveled about 30 miles on gravel roads and responded to emails from offices located hundreds of miles away.
And after all that, he finally had time for lunch.
“Most days it doesn’t really seem like work,” Fagerman said, glancing out the window of his large, state-issued truck. “It’s because I enjoy doing what I’m doing. That’s an important thing for me being out here.”
Fagerman, a dedicated outdoorsman and family man (he has a basketball hoop in his driveway to prove it), is wrapping up his 10th year as a conservation officer based in northeastern Minnesota. Prior to that, he was a state trooper in Cook County for 14 years. Though he just turned 50, Fagerman remains passionate about his profession and the land, fish and animals he protects.
“I have a personal connection to this land,” Fagerman said. “It’s not just where I work. This is also where I fish, where I hunt. These are my lakes just like everybody else.”
Within Fagerman’s coverage zone, spanning from Lake Superior to the end of the Gunflint Trail, he deals with wolves, bears, lynx and moose on an almost daily basis.
During the past decade Fagerman said he has witnessed the good, bad and ugly sides of Mother Nature. There was the time when a cow moose trampled his family’s pet dog so brutally that the dog had to be put down. There have been lynx and moose that refuse to move from the snowmobile trail during winter, leaving Fagerman in a state of perpetual “what now?” Fagerman said a handful of black bears have bluff-charged him or at least posed a threat, typically just prior to hunting season while he checks bear-bait sites.
Jim Wallner, a local hunting guide who also specializes in wolf control for the DNR, said Fagerman is a “great guy” who knows the woods where he works ... intimately.
“He’ll show up where and when you least expect him,” Wallner said of Fagerman’s patrols in the backcountry. “It’s pretty amazing, actually.”
And while his coverage area winds, dips and loops through thousands of acres of remote wilderness, Fagerman admits some of the most memorable (and perhaps frighten-
ing moments) have come at the hands of his fellow humans.
“We run into some odd people back here,” Fagerman said. “Folks who are on drugs who shouldn’t be ... And other people who aren’t on drugs and maybe they should be.”
Included in his memory bank of odd behavior is the twisted tale of a drug-crazed man who cut his girlfriend’s face with a Cheez Whiz can while camping in Cook County. Fagerman was the first to arrive on the scene, and the new DNR communication device he had been issued failed to work properly. Fagerman–who does carry a gun, mace and taser while on duty–was forced to tackle the man to the ground without the assurance of any backup arriving from fellow law enforcement officers.
“People can be unpredictable on occasion,” Fagerman said. “We just have to be ready for that.”
Human nature aside, the most dangerous part of Fagerman’s job is the outdoor elements in which he works. Last April, for example, Fagerman fell through the ice into 21 feet of frigid water.
“Luckily I was prepared with ice picks so that I could
crawl out,” he said of the experience. “I don’t know if I could have made it without them, but I wasn’t in for experiments.”
Fagerman and his fellow conservation officers in and around Cook County frequently come into contact with people who are armed with a loaded a gun. If an individual could potentially get into trouble when the officer finds them, fight or flight mode kicks in strong. Usually, Fagerman said, people tend toward the latter.
“I had to chase a guy through the woods once who was baiting deer to hunt them,” he said. “But I knew where he was going better than he did, so I ended up waiting at the edge of the woods until he popped out.”
Wallner said all the conservation officers help keep people, specifically hunters and fishermen, honest. Fagerman agreed, noting that 95 percent of all people he comes into contact with are in accordance with state and federal laws.
“It’s our presence back here that helps keep honest people honest,” Fagerman said. “We do such a wide-range of things on a daily basis. The fact is, we really do work for the community.”
Darin Fagerman (left) visits the site of a recently-trapped wolf in Cook County. | JOSEPH FRIEDRICHS
MALCOLM CLARK, Broker
6 LAKE SUPERIOR ISLANDS
2 to 95 acres.
Starting at $90,000 USD
UPPER SCOTCH LAKE
New Levels of Service
640 Beverly Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 0B5 Canada
Phone (807) 344-3232
FAX: (807) 344-5400
Toll Free 1-888-837-6926
Cell: 807-473-7105
mclark@avistarealty.ca www.avistarealty.ca
FOR SALE: Oliver Lake, ON
WATERFRONT - NEEBING
Lake Superior! A stunning
3.86 acre piece of property with 600 feet of shoreline with ultimate privacy and solitude at the very end of Memory Rd. Winterized, comfortable A-Frame cottage with yearround road access. Great views. 20 minutes from the border. $319,000 CDN
LAKE SUPERIOR LOTS
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
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
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
HARRY LAKE LODGE
The ultimate fly-in fishing resort. Totally outfitted with all the modern conveniences. 80 miles north of Thunder Bay. Incredible fishing! Main lodge, beach house with sauna and hot tub. Diesel generator, fish cleaning house, boats, motors. Harry Lake is a very large lake with no road access and Harry Lake resort is the only improvement. $295,000 CDN
LAKE OF THE WOODS THUNDER LAKE DRYDEN
Tremendous opportunity. 1 acre cottage lot with 149.3 feet lake frontage. Northwestern exposure, rocky shoreline, great views across Lake of the Woods. $109,500 CDN
Remarkable piece of property (34+ acres) just 8 km east of Dryden. 1580 ft of shoreline. Great views across this large lake and Rutters Bay. Fantastic fishing. $399,000 CDN
NORTHERN LIGHTS LAKE ISLAND
Exceptional log home on over 2 acres with over 500 ft of shoreline. Cathedral ceilings, beautiful stone fireplace, guest camp, boathouse, large deck and more. Great views! $239,000 CDN
Ave. W,
$140,000
entry. Single car tuck under garage. For seller financing incentives, agents and their buyers are requested to contact the designated Chase Loan Officer. $141,500
Polar Cr., Silver Bay
2 BR, 2 bath chalet style home affords panoramic views of Lax Lake and Sawtooth Mountains. Within close proximity to recreational opportunties. Make this your northwoods retreat for $89,900
Enjoy a spectacular panoramic view from your 2,400 sq ft, 2-story all-season home. This unique home with vaulted ceilings, contemporary open concept kitchen, living room, dining room includes, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths with dock house on 190 ft shoreline on crystal clear Oliver Lake just 25 minutes south of Thunder Bay, Ontario or 40 minutes north of the US border. See ThunderBayHouses.com (search by Property Type: Waterfront 181A South Bay) and/or PropertyGuys.com (search #151494.)
Your Wilderness Retreat
FOR SALE: Remote cabin on Kemo Lake north of Grand Marais MN. 16 acres and 500 ft. shoreline. Mixed timber. Moose, deer, grouse, and great lake trout fishing. 20 x 24 furnished cabin, shed, 14' Lund boat w/ 7.5 HP Evinrude motor. A great place to relax and enjoy nature. $239,000. 218-387-1926 Find the home of your dreams in the Northern Wilds ULTIMATE REAL ESTATE GUIDE, also available in our monthly E-edition. Subscribe today! NorthernWilds.com
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.
The
Tofte - Bluefin Bay Unit 66
MLS#6001732
$525,000
This outstanding Grand Superior town home has wonderful views of Lake Superior from main
GreaT Vacan T Land Va LU e S
Jonvick Creek Beautiful home sites in mature Maple, Spruce and Birch forest. $29,500-54,900
xxx Sawbill Trail 120 Acres located up the Sawbill Trail. Large Maples MLS# 27551 $199,900
xxx Mountain Ash Ln Cedar covered hillside overlooking Lake Superior in Lutsen.
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.
xxx Leveaux Ridge
3.45 acres Birch Forest, pines, Lake Superior View MLS#6002548 $37,500,
Johannes Toftey Homestead Sites
Beautiful hillside lots in Tofte with Lake Superior and Carlton Peak views.
$35,750-55,000
Lutsen 5295 W Hwy 61
MLS#6002804 $129,000
Two+ bedroom manufactured home located downtown Lutsen. New septic and deck summer 2011. Newer roof, furnace and dishwasher. Great location with convenient horseshoe driveway and level lot. Solid foundation. Walking distance to “downtown Lutsen” and close proximity to area employers and related businesses. Very nice floor plan with well appointed furnishings included.
Lutsen 4010 Cascade Beach Rd
MLS#6002547 $429,000
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.
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.
PENDING
NEW LISTING
SOLD
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.
Lutsen Sea Villas
Grand Marais
$220,000
SmokeS, it’S a harbor downtown
Sale! e
Whimsical living space in Upper level and outdoor Courtyard garden deck! l ease the main level business front for rental revenue, rare , fab V ieWs of TH e H arbor! ml S#6003100
farm Style home with Shazammm l ake 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
$369,000
$429,000 looking for the l arge family! Tons of
magnificent Carlton peak granite fireplace! l arge owner’s suite has it all, complete with garage! ml S#6002976 $255,000
S#6003097 $199,000 a ncient PineS on tait l ake! l ovely log sided Cabin with Vaulted Ceilings, gorgeous fireplace, and awesome Views! so much to offer, Yr r nd living on Tait l ake in lutsen! ml S#6003095
meSmerized on clara l ake in lutSen! spectacular l and and l akeshore with fed l and across the road. rustic Cabin to boot! must see $175,000 ml S#6003077
Starter, k eePer! Zippy grand marias home, large yard and neat Home! a must see at $99,000 ml S#6003099
cute aS Pie in tofte! so it needs a little TlC, eh? Come see this charmer, you’ll be pleasantly surprised! great l ot and Value! ml S#6003135
$99,000
hunting camP or get away cabin! 40 ac parcel with rustic cabin, sauna and storage! nature conservatory on border, forest
lake SuPerior log cabin! This home has tons of value in it with 4 br and 2.5 ba, move in ready home just waiting for you to make it your own! shoreline is nice cobblestone beach with fire pit! The interior of the home is nicely updated with new granite counters in the kitchen, which opens to an informal dining area and a wide open family room space! ml S#6001711 reduced! $349,900
enjoy two fireplaces, two levels of living! great location between lutsen and Tofte! ml S#6001010 $344,900
townhome at w indSong on l ake SuPerior! Up and Coming
beaver bay boasts an easier drive to the cities and really good Value! a mazing layout to soak in the Views, this home won’t disappoint! ml S#6002658 $339,000
w elcome the SunriSe over SuPerior…JuSt a Stone’S throw a stone’s throw from your front door! nearly historical home has been lovingly restored from studs to siding, only left is your finishing touches to make this home your own! 17 acres, 4+ garage workshop, and an easy stroll to l ake superior beach just minutes to grand marais, this home is a keeper! mlS#6002339 reduced! $249,800
eaSy living on l ake
SuPerior! super location between grand marias and lutsen with incredible views of the big l ake! meticulously maintained, move in ready, great opportunity to make this Your dream l ake superior home! mlS#6001226 $569,500
beauty and the big l ake! Quality crafted townhome features an owner’s suite so luxurious your family and guests may wonder if you’ll ever reappear! 476’ of shared shore w/ a point that juts dramatically into the lake forming good Harbor & Cutface Creek beach. Water, sewer, ext. maint. covered by assoc., Just show up, relax, and e xplore! ml S#6002475 $375,000
crafted from the rugged ledgerock!
This l ake superior masterpiece exudes thoughtful design focused on joining the big l ake with the living space. enter in to the great room to Jaw dropping Views through a 22 ft prow of Windows rivaled only by a gorgeous well situated fireplace. o ver 11 ac. & 317 ft of shoreline scratching in to the l ake creating interesting e xploration with many opportunities for l akeside firepits!
mlS#6002276 $799,900
m arvelouS l ake
SuPerior living! Well maintained family Compound with yr round newer home on 8+ ac and 340+ ft accessible shoreline! but’s it really about “The shining rocks” The “rock 1” log cabin was built early 30’s, and it’s been lovingly maintained by only a handful of families since. Cabins rock 1, 2 & 3 create this incredible family compound! ml S#6002529 $799,000
Shocking v iewS, incredible home!
bowl o ver your guests with the l ake superior views, quality crafted home with fine finishings and thoughtful design! l ovely setting perched atop the sawtooth r idges over blue fin bay in Tofte! mlS#6002232 $550,000
dreamy l ake
SuPerior v iew home in lutsen! floor to Vaulted Ceiling windows draw you to the massive l ake superior Views from this lindal Cedar Home! Top notch Quality home, tons of space for entertaining, and enjoy the new rock patio and fire pit, a great place to create your family vacation memories! ml S#6002838 $399,000 incredible value!
dreamy l ake
SuPerior land and lakeshore! several acres of privacy and way more than 200 ft of l evel access l ake superior shoreline in schroeder, near sugarloaf Cove naturalist a rea! mlS#6001554 reduced! $275,000
l ake SuPerior and lutSen l eads to the good life! sweet l ake 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 l ake superior!
mlS#31207 $279,900 reduced huge!!
m y oh m y mileS of v iew! l ake superior sprawls from your feet on a park like serene l akeshore parcel with plenty of shoreline from an elevated building site. a must see! ml S#6002686 $275,000
60 ac with l ake v iewS e of grand marais! keep this gem all to yourself and enjoy plenty of elbow room! ml S#6002841 $124,900
crazy big l ake big mountain v iewS! epic Home with sprawling views, too incredible to imagine, you mUsT see! main l evel living, huge deck, loft bedrooms and lower level family/guest space. o ver 6 acres!
mlS#6002052 $275,000
how a bout focuSing on fiShing?
Year round cabin on gust l ake, just outside the bWCa and a half hour from lutsen mountains ski resort is really a great fish Camp for friends and family to gather and enjoy the cabin, guest cabin and sauna house! a nd catch some fish! mlS#6001054 $299,000 bargain!
SecluSion, Peace, l ake. greenwood l ake! Quality built by fine local craftsmen, on one of the best lots on greenwood l ake! end of the road location bordered by state land! mature White pines, level lake access, dock in place.
Hand Hewn l og 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 l ake Home on greenwood! ml S#6002522 $499,900
a rchitectural doozie on chriStine l ake in lutsen! luxury l odge 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 l ake home with bunkhouse, tons of privacy and wildlife! rental revenues offset ownership costs! mlS#6001978 $455,000 aweSome value!
tait l ake home in lutSen! enjoy fall leaf color from the breezy deck overlooking the 260 ft of shoreline! Tons of light flows through the living room focusing on Wilderness lake views. Well maintained year round home is totally dialed in and the garage boasts a roomy workshop with spacious guest suite! ml S#6002868 $349,000
lutSen Sea villaS, l evel accessible l ake 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!
home SPun living on caribou l ake! original cabin of years ago has been lovingly remodeled and enlarged, creating an eclectic style of old and new with main level living and upper level guest/family space. mature maples, White pines and 200 ft of Caribou l ake frame the home with attached garage and 2nd garage for the toys! ml S#6002743 $450,000
caribou
highlandS r eSort! 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#6002963 $199,500 ml S#6002881 $115,000 live and work from home in lutSen! a rare opportunity to buy a lovely dovetail l og Home on 20 acres smack in the middle of a maple syrup operation! Home and current “sugarshack” and retail sales log cabin! e xisting successful maple syruping business could be included for the right buyer. Call list agent k im Wolff for details! ml S#6002581 $375,000
k ah nee tah! These authentic north shore Cottages enjoy lutsen’s Cascade beach rd frontage along l ake
superior (great rental revenue!) and Highway access for lutsen’s Treasured a rt gallery! live and Work on the north shore with an e xisting business! mlS#6002091 $280,000
ironic iSn’t it? a condo in the middle of the northwoods, isabella location! What a great idea for those outdoor enthusiasts looking for very nice accommodations to come back to after a full day of fishing, boating, hiking, biking, snowmobiling and cross country skiing! it’s really the best of the northwoods at a great price! mlS#6001979 reduced!! $143,000
clean lineS and easy living in Tofte! sweet 2 plus bedroom, detached garage and nice l ake 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
a rchitectural deSign near Carlton peak! good bang for your buck for square footage, this multi-level home is very Cool. Updated gourmet kitchen, new flooring and carpet and two garages! ml S#6001636 reduced! $240,000
cuStom craftSmanShiP, small footprint design! main level
$284,900
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 l ake superior views and a two plus garage! ml S#6000042 $140,000 reduced!
the rough Stuff has already been done. build-ready site with high-quality components in place: insulated slabs for house w/ porch and garage are set up with infloor heat, plumbing, electric, timedose & heated septic system, 179’ deep well, gravel driveway, rocks/boulders, 15 cords of clear aspen sawn for paneling for house/cabinets/counters if desired, blue prints for buildings/ design are also included which saves a fortunate buyer thousands of dollars. priced W ell beloW what has already been put into this tremendous lot! ml S#6001308 reduced! $124,900
tofte treaSure across from bluefin bay! l ooking for a Cute Vacation rental that doesn’t have a ton of association dues? This is it! Creekside location across from bluefin bay, a stone’s throw to l ake superior and Coho Café, a great Vacation spot! HUGE VA lUE! ml S#6001354 $149,000
Smooth Sailing Cabin in the Woods! Views of l ake superior from the Covered front porch. Yr rd access, electric, well and newer septic in place! ml S#6002254 $141,500 r educed!
s i Lver Bay to Litt L e Marais to Fin L and & i sa B e LL a!
NEW! 80 acres for $79,000 blesner l ake 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 huge value!
Enough Is Enough! We are talking 30 acres of elevated rolling hills bordering the r idge looking down the little manitou r iver to l ake 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
160 acre parcel of upland maples and boreal forest. beautiful forest, absolute quiet, total seclusion. owned by the same family since 1904! mlS#6002612 reduced! $140,000
Wilderness Getaway near Tettegouche State Park, good point to l ake 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!
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 motivated Seller, make an offer!
Zeke’s Road 30 ac parcel-great hunting land! mlS#6001525 reduced! $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 o ver a mixed boreal forest, good l evels of serenity for sure! Year round access and electric at road! ml S#6000676 $56,900
Over 5 acres of Young Aspen and l ake superior Views on the sugarloaf road, Walk to superior Hiking Trail or sugarloaf Cove on l ake 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, super Views and Wildlife ponds! from $52,500
mlS#6002929 & mlS#6002995
Just Up the Sawbill Trail grab your little piece of the northwoods, rolling terrain and small community feel with year round access, great build sites!
ml S#6001346 from $17,500!!
Toftevaag on the Sawbill, nice l ake Views! Walk to the Coho, great location! from $53,000 mlS#29252
Cool Spot for your Dream Home! driveway is in place leading to a drop dead gorgeous building site with ledge rock vertical drop water fall!
mlS#6002624 $65,000
Lutsen Lake v iews & w i L derness Lands!
NEW! 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
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 $59,900
Honeymoon Trail Wildlife Lands! 10 ac nearby poplar r iver in lutsen, great hunting or hiking land at a sUper greaT price! nice boreal forest with build site bordering Usfs lands! ml S#26729 $39,900
Caribou Lake Area Build Site on 5 Ac! at the base of the sawtooth r idge overlooking Caribou lake is this sweet land perfect for your year round cabin with easy access to all that lutsen offers! ml S#6000-049 $49,900
30 acres of Prime Wilderness Land with year round access and electric at street with Views of lutsen’s famed Clara l ake! ml S#6001462 $137,500
Lovely 20 acre parcel located on the outskirts of lutsen, only minutes to bigsby and Caribou l akes! nice mixed forest with high ground for choice building sites. great price for your northwoods getaway! ml S#31531 $37,900
Gorgeous Views of Williams and Wills Lake in Lutsen! Year round access, electric, mountain Top site bordering Usfs land. a Wonderful place to build your northwoods home! ml S#6001685 $79,000
Super Building Site on Honeymoon Trail lutsen locale with electric and all year access! High ground! ml S#6001796 reduced! $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
New! Own your own park in the heart of grand marais! mlS#6002396 $17,000
A River Runs Through It! 160 acres of Upland and r iver frontage on the Cascade r iver near eagle mountain, a r are find with tons of opportunity. Whether Hunting land or Wilderness retreat, this is a great opportunity! ml S#31732 $140,000
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 l ake 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 l ake 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
lake in lutsen, year round access with over 10 acres and 200 feet of shoreline! Hilltop building site with cleared path thru cedar forest to Christine l ake, 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 one of a kind parcel was created for this seller. 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, in fact your cross your own private bridgeover a bubbling creek to access the site. There is an excellent kayak cove, a nice gravel swimming area for a family swim, a beach fire or morning coffee. This is just an awesome home site! Mls#6003042 $729,000
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
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
reDuCtioN
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
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
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
tuCker l ake lot Gunflint Trail--Tucker Lake Lot. Have tons of privacy on this 3.68-acre lake lot with over 550 feet of shoreline, plus 237 feet more shore across the private road, in a protected bay. Pristine views, and direct access to the BWCAW. Mls #6002030 $239,900
CustoM-Built
l ake superior CharMer Privacy, gardens and 250' Lake Superior Shoreline make this a fantastic home and location! Look at Artists Point from the deck. Feel secluded at the end of the road. The house sits just feet from the stunning Lake Superior shoreline! Kitchen with wall of glass that brings the outdoors inside. Mls#6002465 $625,000 sale peNDiNG! ClassiC lo G CharM/ CasCaDe BeaCh Mls#6002401 $445,000
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# 6002461 $989,000
CaBiN McFarland Lake Cabin. This quality cabin was built by one of the premier builders in the area. It has custom built-in cabinets and bookshelves. There is 1 bedroom plus a loft, nice kitchen and dining area with a cozy living area with wood stove. The deck and 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 away in the 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
BorDer , Beaut Y aND BWCaW. Rare opportunity to own a private wilderness escape, North Fowl Lake. 2 BRs, full kitchen, comfortable living room and large deck. Large open yard, sauna, storage shed and dock. Great privacy, 200’ of shoreline, abutting the BWCAW. Water access. Mls #30184 $199,000. level lot, NiCe WooDs, easY shore. This Devil Track Lake lot has easy access from county road, power, phone and great building sites. South shore, 200 ft. frontage, great views. Build your home on the lake here. Mls #6001771 $198,900.
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
private FiNlaND retreat Lots of Privacy, Lakeshore, Acreage plus 2 Older Cabins. 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. It's just you and the Superior National Forest! There are two older cabins that can be swept out and put to use. They're in pretty good shape. Good road access, good fishing and lots of white pines. Mls#6003076 $325,000
#6002430 $259,500.
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
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
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
NeW! 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
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
toM l ake CaBiN
Charming, small family cabin on Tom Lake. Cabin has new roof, propane wall heater, range and refrigerator-you bring water. Furnished.
Mls#6002561 $89,900
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
NeW! GreeNWooD l ake Lovely, wooded lot on desirable Greenwood Lake. High elevation with spectacular views of the whole lake, bays and islands. This lot is surveyed, has a new driveway and turn around. Mls#6002946 $119,000
reCreatioN paraDise oN toM l ake. Charming 1960's era cedar cabin right at the water's edge. Unique to have a Boat House right on the water that is grandfathered-in. Sold "turn-key" ready to move in and start fishing.
Mls#6002496 $99,000
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
CasCaDe river propert Y A river runs through it! If you're looking for peace, quiet, and beautiful wilderness views, this could be the location for you. Off the beaten path, yet good access. Good building sites on 25 acres overlooking the beautiful Cascade River.
Mls #6002440 $84,900
MaiNteNaNCe-Free oN l ake superior Gorgeous, 3-level residential condo in Tofte. Beautiful views and quality finishes. Ideal floor plan has 3 beds and 3 baths. Private outdoor space on every level with two decks and a patio. Can be sold as a "turnkey residence" or "rental ready"-you decide.
Mls #6002039 $339,000
en 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
NeW! paNoraMiC 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
stuNNiNG eND uNit. This end unit has been totally remodeled, with a keen sense for what vacation renters are looking for. Open concept floor plan. Nice updates include floors, butcher block island, maintenancefree decking. Mls#6002366 $134,900
has
and exquisite taste from top to bottom. The home features a beautiful granite kitchen with new stainless appliances, spacious great room with wood floors, cathedral ceiling, and it flows into the bright sunroom with lots of passive solar and dramatic views of the raging creek and peeks of Lake Superior. Entertain on the large deck perched over the cascading water. There is lots of storage space, and two large garages for all your vehicles and hobbies, with work shop space in one, plus large unfinished guest quarters above the other. The manicured lawn and long driveway give the feel of a private estate. Wildlife frequent the yard and creek. This is a must see showplace with so many attributes including: location, privacy, quality and loving care. A park-like property with the dramatic creek flowing just below the house. No neighbors in sight, and yet you're only a short walk to "downtown" Lutsen. Mls #6003089 $344,900
BearskiN loG CaBiN Towering Pines, West Bearskin Lake. Totally charming Charlie Boostrom log cabin in towering white and red 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
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
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
GraND Marais
hoMe Conveniently located in town with incredible views of Lake Superior. The home features 4 BR, 3 BA with a great layout and tons of storage space. Master BR includes a custom whirlpool tub, skylight, and a separate covered porch overlooking the harbor. The kitchen has been totally redone. Drive-through garage. Mls #6002043 $247,000
eNerGY eFFiCieNt hoMe. Earth sheltered home with over 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
BeautiFul
lutseN hoMe 3- BR country home in Lutsen on 3.67 acres. Light filled living and dining rooms. Eat-in kitchen. 1 3/4 baths. Full basement. Sauna. New septic system. Double detached garage. Owner / agent. Mls #6002162 priCe reDuCtioN! $219,000
reCreatioNal Base
CaMp. This great parcel in Tofte has two garage buildings waiting for your toys. Either one could easily become living space. The two lots have room for a home with views of a dramatic creek gorge with waterfall and Lake Superior. It's a park-like setting. Mls #6002043 $179,900
2 BeDrooM toFte hoMe Great Tofte Location--2 bedroom Home. Quality built onelevel 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. Access from Highway 61 and from the rear on a Culdesac. 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
eW priCe! rustiC lo G, 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.
priCe reDuCtioN New construction in 2008. NEW, never occupied. Built to have working shop and garage on 1st level and family living space upstairs. Buyer to finish. Furnace in, some plumbing. Property has kennel permit and access to trails. Great location. Mls#6002150 $125,000
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 long-established 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
priMe CoMMerCial loCatioN 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, with a small 2 bedroom home and 1 functioning rental cottage. Many new improvements and upgrades. Two other small cabins could be rented, and there is room for many more...or what other possibilities you may have in mind. Large 2-car garage plus 2 sheds, also. This site has been a centrally located historical business location and has many optons for your entrepreneurial pursuits. 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
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. Easy access from county road with power, phone and broadband available. Good sites to build your home or cabin in the woods. Mls#6002960 $49,900
Own a slice of Minnesota’s Favorite Resorts
We bring you closer. To the lake, each other and your vacation property dreams.
The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts is unmatched in its intimate proximity to Lake Superior. We offer three distinct ownership opportunities to achieve what you’ve been dreaming of for years.
• Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior: Award-winning property, Minnesota’s Favorite Resort. One, two and three bedroom condos & townhomes on Lake Superior with access to restaurants, pools, saunas, tennis court, gift shops, & full service spa.
• Surfside on Lake Superior: New, spacious luxury townhomes on Lake Superior. Home to Waves of Superior Spa & Café. Offering shared ownership opportunities.
Surfside on Lake Superior: New townhomes, total coastal luxury right on the shore of Lake Superior. 3,000 s/f, 3BR, 3BA. Quarter-share ownership w/ flexibility for personal use & rental income. Excellent family retreat or investment property. Prices from $179K-$229K,
• 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.
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.
5 aCres oN GuNFliNt trail. Mls #6001601 $94,000 sale peNDiNG
Five aCres Near toWN. Ready to build, Croftville location, Superior view, nice forest, RC/Residential zoning. Mls #6001810 $74,900. priCe reDuCtioN
5 aCres Near Devil traCk lake. Deep wooded home site – just steps from Devil Track Lake, and DNR access. Enjoy the lake without the high taxes! Mls #6002657 $74,900.
l aND/BuilDiNG sites
Maple hill hoMe site Heavily wooded 6.45 acre parcel with great privacy, county rd frontage, power and phone. Walk to golf course, easy access to Gunflint Trail or Devil Track area.
Mls#6002601 $70,500
10 aCres Near GraND Marais Great piece of property located minutes from Grand Marais, on Pike Lake Rd. Seasonal view of Lake Superior. Many nice build sites.
Mls #6001078 $64,900
laND Near GraND Marais. Beautiful 5-ac lot just minutes from town. Meadow, power/phone. Driveway in. Great home site. Mls #6003084 $59,900.
DraMatiC superior vieW. Three high lots to choose from, southern exposure from the cliffs of Chicago Bay.
Mls #6001901 & 1902 $59,900
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 and many other local fishing hot spots. This is excellent land for a deer camp. Many big bucks are harvested on the south part of these parcels which borders Mons Creek. 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.
| eric@bluefinbay.com
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 lo CatioN. 4.09 acres, power and phone. Walk to landing on Christine Lake. Adjoins state land. Mls #6002514 $39,900.
hovlaND area parCel Mls #6002123 $39,900 sale peNDiNG reCreatioNal parCel iN hovlaND. 43+ acres close to the public landing on Tom Lake. Survey complete; may subdivide into two 20+ acre parcels. Road plowed year round in special taxing district. Owner/Agent. Mls #6001471 $37,500
Got reMote? Can't beat this property for "off-the-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 parCel Secluded and heavily wooded parcel bordering on thousands of acres of US and State of Minnesota Forest land. Additional 5 acres may be available. Mls#6002923 $35,000 lutseN hoMe site Secluded and heavily wooded parcel bordering on thousands of acres of US and State of Minnesota Forest land. Additional 5 acres available. Mls# 6002801 $35,000 here is the WooDeD aND reMote '40' you have been waiting for. Priced right at $4,300 below the assessed value. Good mix of woods. Parcel surveyed. Mls# 6002463 $29,250
Bluefin Unit 16
2BR, 2 BA. Sweeping views. Rent as one or two units to maximize income.
Bluefin Unit 40 Upper-level, so. facing 2 BR condo (lockout) w/ stunning views. Seller to pay $10.5K bathroom upgrade.
Bluefin Unit 55 Great location next to outdoor heated pool. 3 BR, 3 BA. Beautiful interior w/ custom baths.
Bluefin Unit 66 Spectacular setting. Largest townhome. 3 BR, 3 BA. $100K in annual income.
Bluefin Bay Condos & Townhomes
Lake Superior View
Bloomquist Mtn. Road 5.8A$44,900 10 miles east of Grand Marais with power at the property, driveway, and several building sites partially cleared! MLS 6001709
County Rd 48 - $59,900 5A with excellent location near town with all the amenities. Survey & identified septic sites. Great access to Superior Hiking Trail. Minimal traffic, lots of privacy MLS 6002922
County Rd 67 - $69,900 4.16A with Lake Superior so close you can see the waves rolling in to the state-owned shoreline, meaning you’ll have walking access to the lake! MLS 6002892
East Highway 61 6.8A - $69,900
Exceptional value on this private parcel. Driveway is in, multiple building sites, and wonderful views of Superior! MLS 6001736
East Highway 61 - $59,900
20A Large, private parcel close to town with elevation, meaning panoramic views of Lake Superior! Large building site has been leveled. MLS 6000432
Murphy Mtn Rd - $84,900
View of Lake Superior, 5A, within 10 minutes of town. Surveyed, pins are all clearly marked, utilities in place and septic sites are identified.
MLS 6002592
Lake Superior Lots
2888 W Hwy 61 - $319,900
Great views with 1.24A, 200’ ledgerock shoreline embedded with Thomsonite Stones. Close to town, relatively easy building site and nice mix of trees.
MLS 6002353
Big Bay, Hovland - $87,500
Deep Lake Superior lot w/11A of heavily wooded land. Gently sloping topography to 318’ of shore. PRICED TO SELL!!
MLS 6002372
Stonegate Road - $239,000
Your choice of 3 Hovland lake lots! Features 2+ acres with 200’ of frontage.Very private, convenient location & well wooded. MLS 6002103
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 6003119
5788 E Hwy 61 - $225,000 5A Lake Superior lot; 280’ shore.
Inland Lake Lots
Homes & Cabins
Large Acreage
72.56A
$129,900
38A
$49,900
$26,900
Gunflint Trail 6A, great location right off of the Gunflint Trail, close to town AND the golf course. Utilities are readily available. Healthy mix of trees.
MLS 6001301 $42,900
Residential parcel with lots of privacy but very close to Grand Marais. 5A, beautifully forested with possible Lake Superior views.
MLS 6002789 $55,000
County Rd 14
Nicely wooded 20A parcel consisting of two lots! Year round access with electricity and telephone readily available. MLS 6002375 $74,900
10A with year round access, electricity and phone. Abuts Federal land and provides access to an incredible amount of Gov’t land.
MLS 6002376 $44,900
Wood Mountain Rd
This affordably priced 8+ acre lot abuts Federal Land, is surveyed & septic sites are identified. Located off Taylor Land & is close to town.
MLS 6002424 $47,900
5A of nicely wooded, level land. Very private but close to town on County Road 7. South of the intersection of Co Rd 7 and Co Rd 44.
MLS 6002282 $54,900
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
Squint Lake 5A surrounded on 2 sides by government land. Convenient mid-trail location with easy access to many recreational activities. MLS 6000882 $72,900
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
1+A Roman’s Road Two 1+A lots with year round access of nicely wooded land near Devil Track Lake. Minutes away from public lake access. Additional land available. MLS 6003000 $19,900
Bluefin Bay - Tofte
Units at Bluefin Bay offer stunning views of Superior and access to both
winning amenities and restaurants! Excellent rental potential.
16 2BR, 2BA unit with stunning view over the old Tofte pier.
6000300 $345,000
unit with multiple rental options, units A & B. MLS 6001732, $525,000 unit 11 2BR, 2BA unit, close to the lake. Can be rented as two units or one. MLS 6002770 $289,000 unit 49 3BR, 3BA brand new unit.
Morgan
1.06A MLS 6002324 $19,900
1.72A MLS 6002323 $29,900
Quist Rd Two 5A parcels with potential spectacular views of Lake Superior. Close to town, but very private!
MLS 6002957 $44-$46
Silver Fox Rd 5A of northwoods privacy with all modern conveniences about 8 minutes from town. Gently rolling with some very attractive building sites. Abuts government land. MLS 6002967 $49,900
W Hwy 61 Great location and development opportunities right off Hwy 61! 7.1A Commercial lot (Zoned Commercial and R-1). Additional acreage of R-1 behind. Agent Owned. MLS 602301 $149,900
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
Experience it all from this historic home on a lovely trout lake! Fish, swim, bike and hike in the heart of the BWCA country, halfway up the Gunflint Trail. Year round home on 275’ of shore and 5A for exceptional privacy. Hand crafted beams and iron work are featured in the Great Room along with an impressive rock fireplace and large windows overlooking the lake. The updated K/DR feature hardwood flooring, vaulted ceilings, and panoramic veiws. The yard is landscaped and flush with lupines and wildflowers, while the dock and boat slide will have you on the lake in no time. Call today for your private showing.
THOMAS
CATCHLIGHT CATCHLIGHT
MERLIN FALCON (Falcocolumbarius)
This falcon decided to take a bath this morning, though its choice of location leaves something to desired (this is where ducks and geese sit to preen, so it was covered in their feathers). It landed on the beach, walked into the pond, took a drink, then began to splish and splash. After it was done bathing, it flew to a large spruce tree and preened while it sat in the morning sun. I guess everyone likes starting the day feeling squeaky clean.—Michael Furtman
