Here’s another great video by photographer Layne Kennedy who recently visited the Boundary Waters and camped on Saganaga Lake.
Our wilderness campsite on Saganaga Lake 2019 from Layne Kennedy on Vimeo.
Here’s another great video by photographer Layne Kennedy who recently visited the Boundary Waters and camped on Saganaga Lake.
Our wilderness campsite on Saganaga Lake 2019 from Layne Kennedy on Vimeo.
It’s Smokey Bear’s 75th birthday today! There’s no better place to celebrate than in the Boundary Waters. Just be sure to hang the leftover cake from a tree limb so his black bear friends don’t eat all of the frosting off of it.
Most of us are familiar with the current message Smokey sends but you can read about the history of the original bear online. His message has been tweaked a little over the years but the point remains the same, ‘Only you can prevent wild fires’.
While the fire danger is relatively low on the Gunflint side of the Boundary Waters it’s always important to make sure your fire is dead out. Most fires are caused by humans so use caution while enjoying a small campfire inside a fire ring in the BWCAW.
In my mind it’s doubtful the USFS will reinstate the lottery system for Boundary Waters permits but I guess you never know.
Here’s a recent article about the lottery and what local politicians are attempting.
“We all had some doubts that it could handle the amount of traffic that it might get on that very first day when the 9 o’clock hour hit,” Nelson said. “So the website crashed, and what that means is that nobody could book permits.”
Since then, the federal government’s switch from a lottery system to a first-come, first-served website for motor and paddle permits has caused even more headaches at Nelson’s shop, Spirit of the Wilderness, in Ely. A rush on permits when the system re-launched in March meant she couldn’t book as many for customers as she once did. Plus, glitches and problems have slowed the permitting process and eaten up more staff time, she said.
———The U.S. Forest Service says it needs to iron out some issues to help businesses and boaters, but that it has moved on from the lottery system. Even so, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, wants to go an entirely different route, largely in the name of helping outfitters who he said were wronged by the federal government.
Since February, he’s been pushing a bill that would switch all reservations in the BWCA back to a lottery system, clashing with the Trump administration in the process. Most reservations haven’t been on the lottery system since 2012. But Stauber said a lottery cuts the chances of a system crash and “gives everybody the fair and equal opportunity” to get a permit.
His efforts have inched along in Congress with some support from fellow Republicans, though no DFLers have signed on to the bill. “The way we were doing it, it may not have been perfect,” Stauber said. “But it’s much better than what we have now.”
Historically, permits for the BWCA were handed out through a lottery system. But in 2012, Superior National Forest switched to a first-come, first-served system, though permits for five entry points on Moose and Fall lakes stayed in the lottery system. Motorboats are allowed in the spots, which Nelson described as a “hot commodity,” especially for day trips.
People could file applications ahead of time for the permits. And business that book reservations for visitors — known in local parlance as cooperators — could submit bunches at a time for customers. For outfitters, that’s an important part of business. Often those customers pay for gear and logistics help on a trip, and rely on the expertise of the outfitter for their knowledge of the BWCA.
That leftover lottery system changed for the first time this year. People instead had to sign up and compete with others for the fastest application. On Jan. 30, when permits went on sale, Recreation.gov crashed. The Forest Service blamed the issue on server problems.
When the site eventually did re-launch in March, Nelson said motor permits for the boating areas for the summer were snatched up immediately. She said the new system had tradeoffs, such as people getting permits who hadn’t been as successful before. But there was plenty of frustration.
At listening sessions after the launch, outfitters said they couldn’t book nearly as many trips as they had in the past for those popular entry points since they could not submit applications ahead of time. Many customers had to reserve on their own, which meant that businesses and customers who were less computer savvy were at a disadvantage. Those with slow internet, which Nelson said is a problem in Ely, faced even steeper challenges.
Nelson said the Forest Service has also appeared unprepared for those challenges in conversations with outfitters. “What happens if the internet is out here in Ely — which a good chunk of the permits are happening on the go-live date — what’s the backup plan for that?” Nelson said she asked. “Or are you just saying to the businesses here, ‘Tough luck, you should have been somewhere else.'”
At a recent congressional hearing on his bill, Stauber bristled at those responses from the Forest Service, saying it showed the government didn’t work with local businesses to roll out the new system. At the hearing, Acting Associate Deputy Chief of the Forest Service Frank Beum told Stauber he was “not aware” of problems with limited internet access. Stauber said he heard from people who drove to the Twin Cities multiple times in freezing cold weather to try to catch the permit launches.
Stauber’s bill would shift the entire permitting system back to a lottery, not just the segment of entry points that switched over this year. “The economy is fragile in Ely and in Grand Marais and so when you have groups of people not coming up there to the Boundary Waters on either entry point you lose economic revenue,” Stauber said.
The Forest Service declined to comment on Stauber’s bill, but a spokeswoman forwarded Beum’s written testimony from the July hearing. In that testimony, Beum said moving back to a lottery system would not be a simple undertaking. He said the Forest Service does not have access to the old lottery system since it changed to a new vendor for the first-come, first-served one.
The Dark Sky Caravan is coming to Cook County again this summer. Why does it visit us so frequently? We have very little light pollution with the darkest skies around.
The Perseid meteor shower has already begun its slow and steady rise to its peak. In 2019, the peak mornings – around August 11, 12 and 13 – will be troubled by moonlight. Plan to watch for Perseid meteors in early August this year, then be prepared for moonlight at the peak.
Perseid meteor on the morning of August 12, 2017, from Hrvoje Crnjak in Šibenik, Croatia. Notice the variations in brightness and color throughout, and the little “pop” of brightness toward the bottom. A brightness “pop” like that comes from a clump of vaporizing debris. Thank you, Hrvoje! Click for more photos of 2017 Perseids.
The annual Perseid meteor shower is one of the most beloved meteor showers of the year, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, where the shower peaks on warm summernights. No matter where you live worldwide, the 2019 Perseid meteor shower will probably produce the greatest number of meteors on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. Unfortunately, on the peak mornings in 2019, a bright moon will drown many Perseids from view. For those serious about seeing the greatest number of Perseids in 2019, we recommend viewing several mornings in a row, beginning the weekend of Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11. There will be considerably more moon-free viewing time then than at the Perseids’ likely peak from late evening August 12 until dawn August 13.
Visit the Sunrise Sunset Calendars site to find out when the moon sets in your sky, remembering to check the moonrise and moonset box.
But don’t wait. The 2019 Perseid meteor shower has already begun its slow and steady rise to its peak. And the new moon comes on July 31/August 1, meaning the morning hours in early August will be moon-free.
Camping in early August? Yes, please! The weekend of August 2 to 4 would be grand. Be on the lookout for Perseid meteors in the hours between midnight and dawn. Also remember, the the Delta Aquariid meteor shower will still be rambling along steadily. You’ll see mostly Perseids, but also some Delta Aquariids in the mix. There’s an explanation of how to tell the difference toward the bottom of this article.
The first full week of August (say, around August 5 to 8) will also offer moon-free skies – and hopefully some pleasant meteor-viewing – in those prime midnight-to-dawn hours.
In the Northern Hemisphere, we rank the August Perseids as an all-time favorite meteor shower of every year. For us, this major shower takes place during the lazy, hazy days of summer, when many families are on vacation. And what could be more luxurious than taking a siesta in the heat of the day and watching this summertime classic in the relative coolness of night?
People tend to focus on the peak mornings of the shower and that’s entirely appropriate. But meteors in annual showers – which come from streams of debris left behind in space by comets – typically last weeks, not days. Perseid meteors have been streaking across our skies since around July 17. We’ll see Perseids for 10 days or so after the peak mornings on August 11, 12 and 13. What’s more, the Perseids tend to build up gradually, yet fall off rapidly. So, any morning in late July through mid-August should offer a sprinkling of Perseid meteors.
Don’t rule out early evenings, either. In a typical year, although the meteor numbers increase after midnight, the Perseid meteors still start to fly at mid-to-late evening from northerly latitudes. South of the equator, the Perseids start to streak the sky around midnight. If fortune smiles upon you, the evening hours might offer you an earthgrazer – a looooong, slow, colorful meteor traveling horizontally across the evening sky. Earthgrazer meteors are rare but memorable. Perseid earthgrazers appear before midnight, when the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.
The radiant point for the Perseid meteor shower is in the constellation Perseus. But you don’t have to find a shower’s radiant point to see meteors. Instead, the meteors will be flying in all parts of the sky.
What is the radiant point for the Perseid meteor shower? If you trace all the Perseid meteors backward, they all seem to come from the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Hence, the meteor shower is named in the honor of the constellation Perseus the Hero.
However, this is a chance alignment of the meteor shower radiant with the constellation Perseus. The stars in Perseus are light-years distant while these meteors burn up about 60 miles (100 km) above the Earth’s surface. If any meteor survives its fiery plunge to hit the ground intact, the remaining portion is called a meteorite. Few – if any – meteors in meteor showers become meteorites, however, because of the flimsy nature of comet debris. Most meteorites are the remains of asteroids.
In ancient Greek star lore, Perseus is the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Danae. It is said that the Perseid shower commemorates the time when Zeus visited Danae, the mother of Perseus, in a shower of gold.
From mid-neorthern latitudes, the constellation Perseus, the stars Capella and Aldebaran, and the Pleiades cluster light up the northeast sky in the wee hours after midnight on August nights. The meteors radiate from Perseus.
Here’s a cool binocular object to look for while you’re watching the meteors. The constellation Cassiopeia points out the famous Double Cluster in northern tip of the constellation Perseus. Plus, the Double Cluster nearly marks the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower. Photo by Flickr user madmiked.
General rules for Perseid-watching. No special equipment, or knowledge of the constellations, needed.
Find a dark, open sky to enjoy the show. An open sky is essential because these meteors fly across the sky in many different directions and in front of numerous constellations.
Give yourself at least an hour of observing time, because the meteors in meteor showers come in spurts and are interspersed with lulls. Remember, your eyes can take as long as 20 minutes to adapt to the darkness of night. So don’t rush the process.
Know that the meteors all come from a single point in the sky. If you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backwards, you’d find they all come from a point in front of the constellation Perseus. Don’t worry about which stars are Perseus. Just enjoying knowing and observing that they all come from one place on the sky’s dome.
Enjoy the comfort of a reclining lawn chair. Bring along some other things you might enjoy also, like a thermos filled with a hot drink.
Remember … all good things come to those who wait. Meteors are part of nature. There’s no way to predict exactly how many you’ll see on any given night. Find a good spot, watch, wait.
You’ll see some.
Composite of 12 images acquired on August 13, 2017, by Felix Zai in Toronto. He wrote: “Perseid meteor shower gave a good show even though the moonlight drowned out most of the fainter ones. A huge fireball was captured in this photo.” Thanks, Felix! By the way, it’s only in a meteor “storm” that you’d see this many meteors at once. Even in a rich shower, you typically see only 1 or 2 meteors at a time.
What’s the source of the Perseid meteor shower? Every year, from around July 17 to August 24, our planet Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle, the parent of the Perseid meteor shower. Debris from this comet litters the comet’s orbit, but we don’t really get into the thick of the comet rubble until after the first week of August. The bits and pieces from Comet Swift-Tuttle slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at some 130,000 miles (210,000 km) per hour, lighting up the nighttime with fast-moving Perseid meteors.
If our planet happens to pass through an unusually dense clump of meteoroids – comet rubble – we’ll see an elevated number of meteors. We can always hope!
Comet Swift-Tuttle has a very eccentric – oblong – orbit that takes this comet outside the orbit of Pluto when farthest from the sun, and inside the Earth’s orbit when closest to the sun. It orbits the sun in a period of about 133 years. Every time this comet passes through the inner solar system, the sun warms and softens up the ices in the comet, causing it to release fresh comet material into its orbital stream.
Comet Swift-Tuttle last reached perihelion – closest point to the sun – in December 1992 and will do so next in July 2126.
Meteors in annual showers happen when Earth encounters debris left behind by a comet. Astronomers have learned to calculate the various streams of debris in space, left behind by comets as various passages near the sun. Image by AstroBob.
Russ Adams caught these 2 meteors, traveling on parallel paths, on the morning of August 11, 2017. Click for more 2017 Perseids.
Looking for a dark area to observe from? Check out EarthSky’s interactive, worldwide Best Places to Stargaze map.
Bottom line: The 2019 Perseid meteor shower is expected to produce the most meteors in the predawn hours of August 11, 12, and 13, though under the light of a bright waxing gibbous moon. But we recommend watching the Perseids on the weekend starting on Friday, August 9, as there will be more moon-free viewing time than on the expected peak date.
Here’s a press release from the DNR regarding loons.
A recent uptick in reports of dead loons and test results indicate an impact from West Nile virus (WNV), according to nongame wildlife staff at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota confirmed WNV as the cause of death in two of three dead loons from northeastern Minnesota earlier this month. Wildlife staff are receiving a small but noticeable increase in calls from people finding dead loons in northeastern Minnesota this summer.
WNV was first confirmed in Minnesota in 2002 and was documented as a cause of loon mortality in Minnesota as early as 2005. It is not uncommon for people, animals and birds to be exposed to WNV through mosquito bites. Most people and animals successfully fight off the virus and develop antibodies against future infection. Some birds, like loons, crows and other corvids, are especially susceptible to the infection. Researchers are attempting to discover the rates of infection among ruffed grouse.
Loons can die from a variety of illnesses and injuries and individual bird deaths are a normal occurrence and not cause for alarm.
“Minnesotans love our loons and it’s concerning for people to find them dead. When we start seeing multiple birds dying on a single lake, we want to know about it so we can start tracking the information and determine when further testing is warranted,” said nongame wildlife specialist Gaea Crozier. “While there isn’t a way to treat the West Nile virus infection, knowing the cause can help us rule out other, preventable causes of mortality.”
Lake homeowners and other lake users who observe two or more dead loons on a single lake with no obvious injury or cause of death are asked to email the nearest DNR nongame wildlife staff for tracking:
Individual bird carcasses can be disposed of by burial or in the trash. There is no evidence people can contract WNV from infected birds, but gloves or a plastic bag are recommended when handling any dead animal. If reporting numbers reach a threshold that indicates a need for further testing, more information and handling protocols will follow.
The Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program is funded almost entirely through grants and donations. More information about the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program and the Loon Monitoring Program can be found on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/nongame.
There have been a few small fires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and across the border on Saganaga Lake recently. One potentially dangerous wildfire was prevented by a group of homeowners and volunteers in the Northeast Arm of Saganaga a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know exact details from the account as I wasn’t there and to the best of my knowledge neither were the cabin owners. Rumor has it the fire started from hot coals from a campfire, grill or a burning barrel and quickly spread to the majestic pines on the island.
Here’s a link to an interview with our Manager Matt Ritter who was involved in saving the island and the report from our local radio station.
Joe Friedrichs– Wed, 07/10/2019 – 4:09pm
A fire erupted July 8 on an island in the northeast arm and Canadian side of Saganaga Lake. The fire occurred on Browns Island.
It is believed that a smoldering piece of charcoal from a BBQ started the fire. There is one private residence on the island.
Reports of the fire came at approximately 12:30 p.m. July 8. At the time of the fire the property owners of the lone cabin on Browns Island had left. They had a BBQ the day before the fire sparked to life, meaning the coals were still hot from the previous day.
In response to the fire, more than a dozen people who live near on or near Lake Sag at the end of the Gunflint Trail took to action. According to reports shared with WTIP, several people loaded boats with pumps, hoses, ropes, buckets and tools and sped to the scene. As people arrived, flames were already moving between crowns of the red and white pines that cover the island, according to the report.
Responders set up pumps at three locations on the south side of the island and began to attack the flames. Responders were able to put the flames out and then spent several more hours soaking hot spots and making sure there would be no more flare ups in the wind that was still blowing.
This year may just be a great year to watch the Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower because it will be happening during our new moon. Against the dark sky of a moonless night meteors are much easier to see. Here’s some more information about the meteor shower from Spaceweather.
Late July presents the nominal peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, but this long and rambling shower is officially active from about July 12 to August 23 each year.
Meteors in annual showers happen when Earth encounters debris left behind by a comet. Astronomers have learned to calculate the various streams of debris in space, left behind by comets as various passages near the sun. Image by AstroBob.
Late July 2019 – around July 28 – presents the nominal peak of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower. But don’t let that date thwart you, if you have a chance to be in a dark place for meteor-watching, anytime in the coming weeks. The long and rambling Delta Aquariid shower is officially active from about July 12 to August 23 each year. The coming new moon on July 31/August 1 (depending on your time zone) means lovely waning crescents in the optimum predawn hours in late July. It means dark skies throughout most of the night all through the first week of August.
The Delta Aquariid shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, though is still visible from mid-northern latitudes. In years when the moon is out of the way, the broad maximum of this shower can be expected to produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour. But, even in early August, you’ll likely see some Perseids, too. This shower overlaps with the more famous Perseid meteor shower, which in early August is rising to its peak (this year on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13, unfortunately under the light of a bright moon). Those who observe the Perseids are likely to see some Delta Aquariid meteors flying on the same nights.
For the Delta Aquariids, as for most meteor showers, the best viewing hours are after midnight and before dawn for all time zones around the world.
The radiant point for Delta Aquariid shower is near star Skat, or Delta Aquarii. This star is near in the sky to a much brighter star, Fomalhaut, which can be found roughly on a line drawn southward through the stars on the west side of the Great Square. This chart shows the Northern Hemisphere view. From the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant is closer to overhead. And don’t worry too much about radiant points. The meteors will appear in all parts of the sky.
How can I tell Perseid meteors from Delta Aquariid meteors? This is where the concept of a radiant point comes in handy. If you trace all the Delta Aquariid meteors backward, they appear to radiate from a certain point in front of the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer, which, as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, arcs across the southern sky. The radiant point of the shower nearly aligns with the star Skat (Delta Aquarii). The meteor shower is named in the honor of this star.
Meanwhile, the Perseids radiate from the constellation Perseus, in the northeast to high in the north between midnight and dawn. So – assuming you’re in the Northern Hemisphere – if you’re watching the Perseids, and you see meteors coming from the northeast or north … they are Perseids. If you see them coming from the south … they are Delta Aquariids. In a particularly rich year for meteors, if you have a dark sky, you might even see them cross paths! It can be an awesome display.
The Delta Aquariid meteors may tend to be a bit fainter than the Perseids and meteors seen in other major showers. That makes a dark sky free of moonlight even more imperative for watching the annual Delta Aquariid shower. About five to ten percent of the Delta Aquariid meteors leave persistent trains – glowing ionized gas trails that last a second or two after the meteor has passed. The meteors burn up in the upper atmosphere about 60 miles (100 km) above Earth’s surface.
Rememeber, you never have to locate a shower’s radiant point to enjoy the meteors. However, it does help to have a dark night without moonlight. This year – in 2019 – the prospects for watching the Delta Aquariids in late July and early August are very good, with little moonlight to ruin the show.
Comet 96P Machholz, the possible parent of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, was discovered on May 12, 1986, by Donald Machholz. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Delta Aquariid meteors may come from Comet 96P Machholz. Meteor showers happen when our planet Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet. When a comet nears the sun and warms up, it sheds bits and pieces that spread out into that comet’s orbital stream. This comet debris slams into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at about 90,000 miles (150,000 km) per hour, vaporizing – burning up – as meteors or shooting stars.
The parent body of the Delta Aquariid meteor is not known with certainty. It was once thought to have originated from the breakup of what are now the Marsden and Kracht sungrazing comets. More recently, Comet 96P Machholz has loomed as the primary candidate for being the Delta Aquariids’ parent body.
Donald Machholz discovered this comet in 1986. It’s a short-period comet whose orbit carries it around the sun once in a little over five years. At aphelion – its greatest distance from the sun – this comet goes out beyond the orbit of Jupiter. At perihelion – its closest point to the sun – Comet 96P Machholz swings well inside Mercury’s orbit. Comet 96P Machholz last came to perihelion on October 27, 2017, and will next come to perihelion on January 31, 2023.
Bottom line: The Delta Aquariid meteor shower lacks a very definite peak. It rambles along pretty steadily in late July and August, coinciding with the Perseids. The nominal peak is in late July, shortly before the new moon on August 1, 2019. From any time zone, the best viewing window lasts for several hours, centered on roughly 2 a.m. (3 a.m. daylight saving time). Find an open sky away from artificial lights, lie down on a reclining lawn chair and look upward.
Hopefully the rain we received along with the storm on Friday will lessen the fire danger in the BWCAW. Until then everyone should use caution with campfires and make sure they are dead out before leaving even if it’s just a day trip.
We’re lucky we are able to have campfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area most of the time. I was visiting with Mike’s cousin who lives in Oregon now and she said they aren’t allowed to have any open fires during the summer months because of the potential of fire. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a fire ban on the Gunflint Trail and we’ll keep our fingers crossed we can keep it that way.
| Joe Friedrichs– Fri, 07/26/2019 – 11:51am
UPDATE: At 6 p.m. WTIP received an update from the Forest Service.
According to Patty Johnson, Fire Management Officer on Gunflint and Tofte Ranger District, the fire is approximately 20×20 ft. in size. Additionally, the blaze was started by lightning, according to Johnson.
As of 6 p.m., there is no official word on containment of the fire and crews are still working on the scene, Johnson said.
Original story below
There is a wildfire burning on Daniels Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Volunteer firefighters from the Gunflint Trail and a team from Camp Menogyn initially responded at fire halls on the Gunflint at 11:40 Friday morning. Forest Service firefighters traveled to the scene and took the lead on responding to the fire.
There is no immediate word on what started the fire. The blaze was active with at least one tree in flames at 11:50 a.m. Friday, according to reports from volunteer firefighters on the Gunflint Trail.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
I heard the title of this blog just recently and it makes sense. With the increasing intensity of storms in our neck of the woods it is good advice, except when you’re out in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
I thought of this while camping with our family a couple of weeks ago. Josh and I were out exploring a campsite near ours when the sky started to get dark. We should have gotten into our canoe and headed back immediately but we didn’t. The sky turned black, raindrops started to fall and we could hear thunder rumbling overhead as we paddled quickly. Josh wasn’t concerned but I mentioned my fear of waves picking up and tossing the dog out of the canoe. At the dog’s age I wasn’t sure he would be able to stay afloat or swim. Josh commented it wasn’t wavy but before we reached our campsite the waves were rolling. The weather can change quickly and one must keep an eye on it and respect it especially when you’re in the BWCAW.
There’s a couple of ways to determine how at risk you are from lightning. One is the 30 seconds/30 minutes rule. If the sound of thunder comes less than 30 seconds after the flash of lightning you need to seek shelter. Remain in the shelter for 30 minutes after you’ve heard the last thunder. If you see a flash of lightning count the seconds before you hear the sound of thunder. Divide this number by 5 to give you the rough distance in miles. If it’s six miles or less you’re in the lightning strike zone.
Stay away from all metal and remove all metal from your body including frame packs, belts, jewelry and even zippers.
If you’re outdoors you want to be the lowest object around you. You want to position yourself 50-100 feet from the nearest person and get into a crouching position on the balls of your feet with your feet close together. If you have a life vest or seat cushion then place it on the ground, squat low, hug your knees into your body, get as small as you can, close your eyes and cover your ears.
7/27 UPDATE: The girl scout group that encountered severe weather on Knife Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Friday night is safe and has returned to an Ely-area canoe base Saturday morning, according to the St. Louis County Rescue Squad.
Captain Rick Slaten said the group of nine scouts experienced a lightning strike Friday night.
While most of the girls were checked out on scene by first responders and cleared by 11 p.m. Friday, two girls were taken to a nearby hospital early Saturday morning and have since been released.
Nancy McMullen, director of communications for the Girl Scouts, said that as of around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the Girl Scouts were deciding whether they would continue their trip or travel back home to the Chicago area.
The group, from Chicago, was following a pre-planned route and they were never lost, according to McMullen,
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The St. Louis County Rescue Squad successfully reached a group of Girl Scouts that encountered severe weather on Knife Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Friday night, according to authorities.
Captain Rick Slaten with the St. Louis County Rescue Squad said though the group of nine scouts experienced a lightning strike that hit the ground, all involved were “awake, alert, and able to move without assistance” as of 11 p.m.
The group, from Chicago, was following a pre-planned route and they were never lost, according to Nancy McMullen, director of communications for the Girl Scouts.
“The lead guide called in the lightning strike per protocol, informed authorities of their exact location per the planned route, and said they believed that lightning ‘struck the ground and they might have experienced ground current,’” McMullen said.
The St. Louis County Rescue Squad said they would try to evacuate the girls using canoes.
Lake County Rescue, Sheriff’s Deputies, the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota HSEM, Northern Tier, 911 Dispatchers, the Minnesota State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and many others were involved in the rescue.
Slaten said they the rescue squad opened the Pike Lake Emergency Operations Center to monitor the effort.
7/26/2019
A rescue operation is currently under way in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for a group of Girl Scouts from Chicago whose campsite on Knife Lake was struck by lightning in the severe storm that rolled through the region around 8 p.m. on Friday, July 26.
The call for assistance after the lightning strike reported six people with after-effects of a lightning strike, with two parties apparently suffering acute symptoms. It is believed there are nine people in the group.
Lake and St. Louis counties, along with the U.S. Border Patrol, mobilized and have ground and paddle teams on route to the campsite. As of 1:50 a.m., responders had reached the Birch Lake portage.
They are being assisted by the Minnesota State Patrol, which has deployed a fixed wing aircraft to help pinpoint the group’s position. It was estimated that it would take two to three hours to paddle to the Girl Scout location. Rescue efforts are hampered by darkness and winds.
The Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin-Lakes and Pines issued a statement on its Facebook page, advising that no one in the group was struck by lightning and no one was ever in critical condition. According to the Girl Scout post, “the lead guide called in the lightning strike, per protocol, informed authorities of their exact location per the planned route and said ‘they believe that lightning struck the grund and they might have experienced ground current.'”
The Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin-Lakes and Pines also states that staff has been working with local authorities and that the group has been “in constant contact with medical personnel the entire time.” According to the Girl Scout organization, as of 11:08 p.m., an EMT was with the group.
By Megan O’Neil, Northwest Region forest health specialist
When the snow finally started to melt after this year’s long winter, many northern Minnesota residents noticed their evergreens showed signs of winter drying injury. Symptoms included needles that turned brown or looked bleached. We received many reports of white pines with brown needles on one side or just the upper portion of the tree.
Winter drying injury happens when water evaporates through openings in the needles. The water loss occurs because the tree’s roots are in frozen ground and unable to replenish the needles with water. Needle browning typically occurs from the tip downward to the base. Although it’s more of a problem on recently transplanted trees, winter drying injury also will affect established trees. Browning usually occurs on exposed upper branches, while lower branches protected by snow cover remain green.
Winter drying usually does not kill trees. As long as the buds are alive, the tree will produce new needles to replace the ones that have died.
If you have a yard tree that has signs of winter drying, you can prune out the dead tissue. To determine whether a limb is dead, simply use your thumbnail to scratch the bark and check for green tissue below. You also can check the buds for green living tissue.