Dark Sky on the Gunflint Trail

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

Looking for a place to go stargazing or get a good view of Mars? The dark sky on the Gunflint Trail or in the BWCA is the perfect place. We won’t be able to see the lunar eclipse but we will be able to see the full moon and possibly some of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower.

LUNAR ECLIPSE AND MARTIAN CONJUNCTION: Friday, July 27th, is a big night for astronomy. Mars will be at opposition, making a 15-year close approach to Earth. The full Moon and Mars will be in conjunction. And, best of all, the Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth, producing the longest lunar eclipse in a century. Visit today’s edition of Spaceweather.com for sky maps, animations, and observing tips.

Tagged with: bweca, Gunflint Trail
Posted in Gunflint Trail

Biggest Blueberry on the Gunflint Trail

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

Come on up to Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and pick some blueberries!

Cook County, Minn. – Travel– Businesses along the Gunflint Trail (also known as County Road 12) in Cook County, Minn. are hosting the second annual Biggest Blueberry Contest, which started on Friday, July 20. Blueberries will be measured by weight, and must be picked fresh and not store bought.

There will weigh stations at Bearskin Lodge, Golden Eagle Lodge, Hungry Jack Outfitters, Rockwood Lodge, Tuscarora Lodge, Gunflint Lodge and Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center, Way of the Wilderness, Poplar Creek Guesthouse, Gunflint Pines Resort, Seagull Outfitters, Poplar Haus, Nor’Wester Lodge, Trout Lake, Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, all of which are along the Gunflint Trail.

Berry pickers will be able to submit their biggest blueberry at these locations. In addition to three grand prizes for the biggest blueberry, all submissions will be entered to win random drawings for custom biggest blueberry PopSockets throughout the contest.

Blueberries in the Gunflint Trail area are already ripening and tend to peak around late July or early August. Wild blueberries are easy to identify, looking much like the grocery store variety, only smaller. The plants are woody shrubs, usually less than two feet tall and resemble miniature trees. They grow best in dry, well-drained, rocky soil with good sun and are often found in recent burn areas. For more information on berry picking and the biggest blueberry contest, go to https://www.visitcookcounty.com/event/biggest-blueberry-contest-gunflint-trail/.

The Gunflint Trail

Beginning in the center of the town of Grand Marais, County Road 12 (also known as the Gunflint Trail) is a 55-mile paved road that adjoins U.S. Highway 61. County Road 12’s route goes through the Superior National Forest to Saganaga Lake near the Canadian border. According to Explore Minnesota, there are no towns along the route, but side roads lead to resorts, campgrounds, canoe outfitters, and boat ramps. Many nearby lakes are within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is primarily accessible by non-motorized boats. There is great fishing along the Gunflint Trail, and miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails. Wildlife abounds, so there’s a chance of spotting deer, moose or bear, seeing a wide variety of birds, or hearing the howls of wolves.

About Visit Cook County

Visit Cook County encompasses the northeastern Minnesota communities of Lutsen, Tofte, Schroeder, Grand Marais, the Gunflint Trail and Grand Portage, commonly referred to as “the Arrowhead” and the “North Shore of Lake Superior”. Grand Marais, Minn., has earned several national accolades — most recently it was named USA Today’s Best Midwestern Small Town, Outside Magazine’s The 16 Best Places to Live in the U.S. 2016, and Budget Travel’s 2015 Coolest Small Town in America. Rekindle your sense of adventure by exploring the Superior National Forest or paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Discover what makes the communities of Cook County, Minn. “Naturally Unforgettable.” Connect on social media using #visitcc, Twitter @CookCoVisitors, Facebook, or Instagram @donorthmn. Learn more at www.visitcookcounty.com.

Tagged with: blueberry, contest, Gunflint Trail
Posted in Gunflint Trail

Blueberry picking time on the Gunflint Trail

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

You learn something every day so they say. Today I learned where the phrase, “Jumped the gun” came from. According to the world wide web, “This idiom refers to an athlete in a race who starts running before the starter has fired the gun.” In my opinion a few anxious blueberry pickers have jumped the gun but does it matter? Of course not.

There are some ripe blueberries on the Gunflint Trail ready to be picked. Does this mean I have been out picking? Nope. Not yet. When you live on the Gunflint Trail you tend to wait until the picking is a little better, just like I usually don’t start a canoe trip in the rain. When you are only on the Gunflint Trail for a day or a week then you must take advantage of the opportunity.

Just remember, other people are waiting(patiently or impatiently) to pick blueberries so be careful not to stomp on the bushes or strip them of all of the green ones waiting to ripen.

Tagged with: blueberries, Gunflint Trail
Posted in Gunflint Trail

Keeping Clean in the Boundary Waters

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

What I love about paddling and camping in the Boundary Waters is the ability to keep somewhat clean. The lakes provide all of the water you need to bathe unlike some hiking trips that never pass by a good water source. Does that mean you can lather up with biodegradable soap and jump in the lake to rinse off? Not at all.

Biodegradable soap is only biodegradable in soil and not in water. Soaps are usually deemed biodegradable if bacteria can break them down to at least 90-percent water, CO², and organic material within six months. Soap still contaminates and contains chemicals that are not natural to the environment and it will take time for soil to break it down. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want to drink it then don’t put it in the water. Bug spray, sunscreen, lotion and soap should be washed off on shore a minimum of 200 feet from the water source.

How clean do you need to be when camping in the BWCA? I never bring shampoo or conditioner on my Boundary Waters trips and I use soap very sparingly. The exception to this rule is after using the latrine I use anti-bacterial hand soap. I try to use the least amount of bug spray and sunscreen so this means wearing clothes that cover my body to protect me from the sun and spraying bug spray on the clothing and not on my body.

Some people love to use wet wipes and while they are convenient they cause excess waste and need to be packed out of the wilderness. Some people throw them into the latrine but I feel it’s putting too much extra paper into the latrine. I don’t think wet wipes biodegrade as quickly as single ply toilet paper, but I could be wrong.

If you care about being clean then bring along a washcloth, camp towel and/or bandanna. Scrubbing yourself with a wet washcloth can do wonders to get you clean. You can boil water to use and even put warm water into a camp shower if you want to feel like you’re really getting clean. Soap is really not needed in order to get clean especially if you use a hand sanitizer after using the toilet.

I don’t get uptight about keeping clean while in the Boundary Waters. There is dirt, mud, pine needles, sap and more just waiting to stick to you and it’s really not a big deal if it does. It’s more important to me the water in the wilderness stays clean, I can clean up when I get back to civilization.

A few helpful things to remember…

Only use biodegradable soap when absolutely necessary and a minimum of 200 feet from the water
Keep all soaps, lotions, sunscreens & bug spray 200 feet from the water
Just like rinsing off before jumping into a pool, rinse your body off 200 feet from the water prior to getting into the lake. This will remove soaps, lotions, sunscreen & bug spray.
Use a washcloth to scrub dirt off of you.
Embrace the dirt, it won’t hurt you.

Tagged with: BWCA clean, clean in the Boundary Waters
Posted in BWCA

How to poop in the woods or the Quetico Park

Posted on July 1, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has fancy latrines at every campsite. This makes pooping in the woods very easy. The Quetico Park and many other wilderness areas do not have latrines. Some places make you pack your poop and paper out of the woods and although it doesn’t sound like much fun I’ve heard it isn’t that bad. In the Quetico Provincial Park you don’t have to pack your poop out but you should do a great job at disposing of it.

Campsites in the Quetico Park do not have latrines and some of the campsites are used frequently. At some campsites you’ll come across toilet paper and other people’s shit which is not a pleasant experience. In order to make everyone’s wilderness experience more pleasurable and leave no trace, extra care and thought should be given to the important topic of how to go poop in the woods.

While most guide books recommend going at least 100 or 200 feet away from a water source to do your deed there is no rule against going even farther away. If you’re worried about getting lost then make a trail with ribbons in the trees and just be sure to remove them before you leave. When there’s more than one person camping it’s nice to dig a latrine that everyone can use. I know, it sounds gross but it isn’t, read on.

The perfect location for a latrine is well away from water, camp and/or any trails. Ideally this is a private and protected spot that receives ample sunshine which will speed up decomposition. Find a high place where water would not normally run(in the event of rain) and an area with deep soil or forest material so you can easily dig a hole and cover the hole back up.

The Quetico Park is rocky country so you may not be able to dig a very deep hole. Six inches is suggested by most “experts” but again, you can always did deeper. Use a small shovel to dig a 4-6 inch wide trench about 12 inches or longer depending upon the number of people in your group and how many nights you are staying. Everyone in the group will use the latrine and after placing their deposit will carefully cover it up using a trowel. Before vacating your campsite be sure to fill in the entire latrine whether or not it was used.

There are different views about packing out toilet paper but I have never done it. What I suggest is to use as little paper as possible and then use a stick to stir the paper in with the poop, a little bit of dirt and some leaves to aid in decomposition and prevent animals or nature from exposing long ribbons of dirty toilet paper. Once finished place the stick in the hole and cover the hole completely. Do your best to keep your trowel poop free.

When we’re camping we place the toilet bag in the middle of the path to the latrine. It contains toilet paper(in a ziplock bag), a trowel(in a separate bag) and hand sanitizer for use after. That way we know if the bag is gone someone is using the latrine and we won’t interrupt them in the middle of their duty.

Hopefully these tips will help you and other campers leave no trace while pooping in the Quetico Park or woods somewhere else.

Tagged with: Boundary Waters, how to poop in the woods, Quetico Park
Posted in Quetico Park

Grouse attack on the Gunflint Trail

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

Have you ever been threatened by a grouse? They are small but fierce creatures who are very protective of their young. I have never been attacked by a grouse but I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t kept on my merry way I most certainly would have been.

On Tuesday I went for a walk and in the distance I saw a grouse standing in the middle of the road. This is actually quite common as they like to sun themselves on trails and roads. As I approached the grouse she fluffed her feathers up and began to walk around in circles dragging one wing on the ground. If I hadn’t just seen her standing upright and completely unharmed I would have thought she had been hit by a car. Her theatrics continued with dust from the road billowing up behind her until I got closer. Then she changed her helpless routine to one of dominance and aggression. With feathers fluffed and chest held high she approached me hissing. I told her I wasn’t going to harm her or her chicks but she wouldn’t back down. I sidestepped her and continued on my way. She pursued me until she was sure I was not coming back and then she quickly waddled into the ditch where I’m sure her brood was waiting patiently for her return.

Image result for grouse with chicks

On Wednesday I went on another walk and encountered another grouse in a totally different place. This time I saw the mom and a few of her chicks on the road and I knew that I was in for another grouse attack. Her fake broken wing act was not as convincing as the grouse from the day before but a newbie to grouse tactics may have fell for it. I continued walking and sure enough her wing heeled miraculously and she hotly pursued me hissing loudly with feathers fluffed. I didn’t change direction and for a second I thought maybe she will actually take flight and peck my eyeballs out. But as soon as she felt I was far enough away she turned back to her chicks and huddled them together leading them down into the ditch.

Grouse mommas are quite similar to human mommas. They care deeply about their young and will protect them at any cost. Hopefully my acting is better than a grouse.

Tagged with: grouse, Gunflint Trail
Posted in Gunflint Trail

Muddy portage paths in the Boundary Waters

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

BWCA portage

The Leave No Trace principle of not hiking on a muddy trail doesn’t work well if you’re on a portage in the Boundary Waters or on a thru-hike on some extensive hiking trail. In the BWCA you will encounter wet portages and there usually isn’t an option to turn around unless you want to alter your route. What should you do when you encounter mud on a trail?

If you’re in the BWCA you have hopefully already given yourself permission to get your feet wet so a little bit of mud shouldn’t be a big deal. When you encounter a portage with mud on it then proceed with caution down the middle of the trail. Do not go around it because you’ll end up damaging plants and making the trail wider and more prone to erosion. You don’t want to create new trails that could possibly confuse other trekkers either. If there’s a down tree in the way then consider taking the time to move it or use your saw to cut it up if you can. If you can’t move the tree or cut it up then when you’re back in civilization let the USFS know about it. They may have crews in the area that can take care of it.

Boundary Waters portage

Tagged with: Boundary Waters, BWCA, muddy portage, portage
Posted in BWCA

Isle Royale to welcome healthy wolves, researchers happy, moose not so much

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

This might be a better headline than the one Popular Science used to describe what is happening on Isle Royale with wolves. Their headline claims, “A pack of wolves is about to save this national park.” A little bit dramatic for my liking and not very accurate.

A decision has been made to bring wolves to the island because the two remaining wolves are father and daughter/sister. Inbreeding in the wolf pack and the lack of an ice bridge for more wolves to make their way out to the island has left researchers who have studied the wolf/moose population on Isle Royale scratching their heads. “How can we continue our over 60 years of research without wolves on the island? Rather than let nature take its course as the National Park Service most often does, they have decided to intervene and bring wolves to Isle Royale so the moose don’t “kill” the island.

You may be sensing sarcasm and you would be right. I am being sarcastic. Do I think wolves should be brought to Isle Royale? It doesn’t really matter but what matters to me is the explanations as to why they are being brought there. I understand. There are researchers and colleges all over that depend upon the moose/wolf relationship on Isle Royale as part of their livelihood or curriculum. I think that balance is weighing far more heavily than the number of moose on the island. If there are too many moose on the island then what? They are afraid of the moose dying of starvation. There might be a big increase in the moose numbers but if the island can’t sustain it then they will die. Wouldn’t it be just as interesting to see what happens naturally if left alone?

What I would like to see is some of the moose on Isle Royale brought to the Gunflint Trail. Maybe introducing some different moose would help our dwindling moose population? And if they must bring wolves out to Isle Royale I hope they will feel free to take some of those from the Gunflint Trail.

Tagged with: Gunflint Trail, Isle Royale, moose, wolves
Posted in Gunflint Trail

Did you smell smoke?

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

There’s nothing like the smell of a campfire to evoke memories of s’mores and starlit nights in the wilderness. If you’ve ever been around a wildfire the scent of smoke could bring on thoughts of other not so pleasant memories. And if you were on the Gunflint Trail last week you might have smelled or even seen smoke due to a fire that had started north of Ottertrack Lake. According to the Ontario fire website the cause of the fire started on June 14th on the north side of McLaren Lake and was human caused. The website lists the fire size as 10ha which is around 24 acres in size and says it is being watched. After rainfall over the weekend the conditions in the Quetico region range from low to moderate fire hazard and in Minnesota low.

Our local radio station printed some news about the fire as well.

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Posted in wildfire

Summer Solstice on the Gunflint Trail

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Sue Prom — No Comments ↓

If you could spend the longest day of the year anywhere you wanted then where would it be? How about the Gunflint Trail? Imagine all of the things you could do with that many hours of daylight. You could take quite the day trip into the BWCA with 16 hours of daylight whether by foot or by canoe but why limit yourself to just one pleasure?

A day trip on the Gunflint Trail sounds like the perfect thing to do on the longest day of the year. Sunrise on the shore of a lake, breakfast at Trail Center and a paddle into the BWCA would be a great morning adventure. Follow that with a visit to Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center for some fun and a couple of hikes on their trails and a dip in a nearby lake to cool off. For dinner you could choose from a number of places to eat but you would have to return to Trail Center for dessert, peanut butter maple malt for me please! Then a hike up to Honeymoon Bluff, Northern Light trail, Lima Mountain or somewhere else to watch the sun as it begins to disappear on the longest day of the year.

Make the most of the solstice wherever you are.

Tagged with: Gunflint Trail
Posted in Gunflint Trail