tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39802872838768756802024-03-10T04:59:49.352-05:00The North Shore...There and BackAndrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.comBlogger545125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-19313783597129884722013-10-28T20:27:00.000-05:002013-10-28T20:27:16.213-05:00Stay safe this North Shore deer season<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fsm9_028393.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/fsm9_028393.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/conf/learning/safety-ethics/?cid=FSM9_029237</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For a few weeks every year, the North Shore fills with hunters. While I'm glad those hunters are out there controlling the deer herd, I also know to change my outdoor plans dramatically. You can still hike and explore the North Shore, you just have to plan ahead. <br />
<br />
Firearm deer season starts in about ten days, on Saturday, November 9, and runs to Sunday November 24. That stretch of days includes three weekends in a row. If you've been meaning to get out in the woods for one more fall hike, one last mushroom expedition, one special picnic, now is the time to do it.<br />
<br />
Grouse season is already underway, so many of the local trails have hunters on them. But those hunters are using shotguns and dogs; you'll see them coming and there's little danger of a stray bullet. <br />
<br />
<b>Deer season in the state parks</b><br />
When deer season starts up, you can still find public places to get out and explore nature. Most of the North Shore state parks ban deer hunting in their most popular areas. SOme of them ban non-hunters from their backcountry. It's safe to say there won't be deer stands propped up on the Jay Cooke Swinging Bridge.<br />
<br />
From Jay Cooke to Grand Portage, here's a brief review of state park status:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Jay Cooke</b>: No hunting during regular deer season. Special muzzleloader season December 7-11.</li>
<li><b>Gooseberry Falls</b>: All park land between Highway 61 and the lakeshore is safe from hunting.</li>
<li><b>Split Rock Lighthouse</b>: All park land between Highway 61 and the lakeshore is open for visitors and closed to hunting.</li>
<li><b>Tettegouche</b>: All park land between Highway 61 and the lakeshore is open for visitors and closed to hunting.</li>
<li><b>Cascade River</b>: Most of the lakeshore, campground and waterfalls ares is closed to hunting and open to visitors. Consult a map at the park to make sure.</li>
<li><b>Judge CR Magney</b>: Stay away if you're not hunting. Hunting is banned in the campground area, but everything else is open for hunting, including the hike to Devil's Kettle. </li>
<li><b>Grand Portage</b>: Safe zone; there is no deer hunting in this state park. </li>
</ul>
<b>Deer season on the Superior Hiking Trail </b><br />
Much of the SHT is closed during deer season to respect the local landowners the trail passes. The trail will be closed from the northern edge of Duluth all the way through Lake County to the Sugarloaf Road for the entire season. Stretches of trail in Cook County will be closed as well. Check <a href="http://www.shta.org/Conditions.php">the SHTA Conditions webpage</a> for more details. <br />
<br />
<b>Anywhere in deer season</b><br />
If you do go out on the trails, wear blaze orange. If you don't have any, you can stop at a local convenience store or sporting goods store and buy a stylish orange wool cap or a cheap orange plastic vest.<br />
<br />
What are your tips for a safe and enjoyable North Shore deer season?Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-72841820239768237652013-10-11T17:08:00.000-05:002013-10-11T17:08:29.238-05:00 North Shore fall colors: Past their peakTwice in the last two days I've driven from Duluth up to the middle of the North Shore. On Thursday, we were actually looking for fall colors and a glorious hike. Today it was just for a meeting, but I kept my eyes out.<br />
<br />
Here's my blow-by-blow, tree-by-tree analysis:<br />
<br />
<b>Maples:</b> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9n5FXA6zRWhRD7qUXmpNcgO0x1kDNeTm4cGDqvaMzUNK4nI2J0yNBi_QqR7KNA6gqRNHX-jBfa_RK8KaFOEa3qBsyCrRDpRV_oFe6_v5tDV69dIIP7mjv9UjLMwv_SuE9lzisHEhWws/s1600/Section-13-leaf-in-pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9n5FXA6zRWhRD7qUXmpNcgO0x1kDNeTm4cGDqvaMzUNK4nI2J0yNBi_QqR7KNA6gqRNHX-jBfa_RK8KaFOEa3qBsyCrRDpRV_oFe6_v5tDV69dIIP7mjv9UjLMwv_SuE9lzisHEhWws/s1600/Section-13-leaf-in-pool.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool in a woodland stream, Section 13 hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The famed sugar maple forests of the North Shore ridgelines are nearly done. Entire hillsides of maple trees are barren. Yellow maple leaves carpet the forest floors. Some smaller maples, tucked into the protection of a forest, still have some yellow leaves. Driving through Finland, there was hardly a colored maple leaf left on the trees.<br />
<br />
Ironically, there is one glorious orange maple right by the highway where it passes through Gooseberry Falls State Park. Don't let this tree, obviously planted by a landscaper, fool you. The maple season in the heart of the North Shore is nearly over.<br />
<br />
<b>Oaks: </b> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J-DoNLJF7Uja5e7PP7QDx85tibwADS6leHe5cKdWmHGZyV9cQWMXC92xDxs1k_LdLjDXJhgiYpPHlvNwqfDtIjfrwwoSyMPM9AKyvYt9UzqcOvWfhHhgD1csecLiDaleQQ9otZGMjo/s1600/Section-13-red-oak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J-DoNLJF7Uja5e7PP7QDx85tibwADS6leHe5cKdWmHGZyV9cQWMXC92xDxs1k_LdLjDXJhgiYpPHlvNwqfDtIjfrwwoSyMPM9AKyvYt9UzqcOvWfhHhgD1csecLiDaleQQ9otZGMjo/s1600/Section-13-red-oak.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red oak leaves, Section 13 trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Most of the red colors in the inland areas, like on our hike yesterday to Section 13, were on the red oak trees. The red of red oak leaves can be luscious, like lipstick. The oaks tend to stand by themselves in rockier, shallower soil, not in thick groves like the maple. So each colorful oak tree really popped.<br />
<br />
<b>Aspen:</b> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASNdYs_Dp5aRwKS3WMVXHVvVmMilLaqTKRdItjT-u748fpTJFkO5ZkN4944Zg9QdPZG_HaTmtnDjxGGfT35R3mN31o-4gpSVqJaCuh6b7jm3WExSoqTSbgwBH4DQD1bteWWiGBN_2EE8/s1600/Section-13-aspen-clumps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASNdYs_Dp5aRwKS3WMVXHVvVmMilLaqTKRdItjT-u748fpTJFkO5ZkN4944Zg9QdPZG_HaTmtnDjxGGfT35R3mN31o-4gpSVqJaCuh6b7jm3WExSoqTSbgwBH4DQD1bteWWiGBN_2EE8/s1600/Section-13-aspen-clumps.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens glow yellow, oaks red below Section 13 cliffs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Along Highway 61, clusters of aspen ranged from fully green-leaved to completely empty of leaves. Their color gets better the further we went up the shore. Many solo aspens along the highway and on the hillsides were glorious fountains of golden yellow. <br />
<br />
<b>Birch:</b><br />
What birch? Especially along Highway 61, the birch are virtually all died out. Their white bark still stands, providing nice contrast to the other, still living trees. <br />
<br />
If you're looking for fall colors this week, I'd recommend sticking to the Highway 61 corridor. Go for a walk on the ski trails at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Hit the Superior Hiking Trail to Elys Peak in the western part of Duluth. There's still lots of lovely autumn out there still, you just might have to look for it. Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-45235809960165378172013-10-05T09:49:00.002-05:002013-10-05T09:49:59.004-05:00Hiking to Two Harbors, Leg 6: Normanna Rd. to Sucker River<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3OhdLlq-9k-Z6d_BlBj34ElZADEBiOJEm1Rw2HNqwNzZSBpbStleNHNYESd2mu2MlnS3S34DGlUvrC1VV2OLLdDjcNms3aKUD42uxwufkSSmOguB-5bYBY8uVnuW3JFFHmslmMmRQEw/s1600/To-Sucker-foot-travel-only.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3OhdLlq-9k-Z6d_BlBj34ElZADEBiOJEm1Rw2HNqwNzZSBpbStleNHNYESd2mu2MlnS3S34DGlUvrC1VV2OLLdDjcNms3aKUD42uxwufkSSmOguB-5bYBY8uVnuW3JFFHmslmMmRQEw/s1600/To-Sucker-foot-travel-only.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A welcome sign at the Normanna trailhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I played hooky this week and got back on the Superior Hiking Trail. I wanted to make some progress on my big "summer" goal of hiking all the way to Two Harbors. Five day hikes in, I had made it to Normanna Road, on the northeast outskirts of Duluth.<br />
<br />
After hiking <b>on</b> everything from city sidewalks to snowmobile trails, after hiking <b>through</b> everything from farmfields to graveyards, after hiking <b>with</b> everything from baby strollers to ATV's, I was thrilled to be on a real hiking trail. This section of the SHT is nine miles long. On this hike from Duluth to Two Harbors, this was the first pure and simple hike, just foot travel, no wide snowmobile trails or paved walkways.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_vSn8CVaU6VinbwM7lrO9d5mjH2DhPu4cz_2dMlKez0PXwb-TyvMdQsx92qVWqCkj7LmgVEki6FKbGr8qp9EeGOxfPWf5kA_zvgyY_soDz2w6SER2-KdOjNwdB50DUAREKyxLx5nRaM/s1600/To-Sucker-AS-hikeaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_vSn8CVaU6VinbwM7lrO9d5mjH2DhPu4cz_2dMlKez0PXwb-TyvMdQsx92qVWqCkj7LmgVEki6FKbGr8qp9EeGOxfPWf5kA_zvgyY_soDz2w6SER2-KdOjNwdB50DUAREKyxLx5nRaM/s1600/To-Sucker-AS-hikeaway.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in some maple woods</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just a few hundred yards in, I had to literally stop and tighten my boot laces. On a classic SHT layout, the trail winds up and over woodland ridges, over boulders, down steep streambanks, and more. For the first time in a long run of hiking trail, I actually had to hike.I loved it.<br />
<br />
The SHT here is nearly all on state or county forest land. Some of the highlights along the trail section are beaver ponds and the open beaver meadows, a classic North Shore ridgeline maple forest, just starting to turn yellow and orange, and the scenic gurgles of the Sucker River.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwoQmt8N563JmKS0UVOo0J3DJq4RMOOaTyJazM3TojRKRLxjxrRLJEPrZxju5rX916qbdvBurub0OuajOR8PQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Even the older logged areas, cut over two or three years ago, had some beautiful fall flowers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf2AfhPtQZrJHW24V6ipSb-t3gNXn-Kf4HfFYA3EqQLPO3ryfnQtkfELdaDqnkOMUj-u95SY9WfkRw6WQmY0eY6izybswfu1-b_w2OC8qv3K3kVaGHmok8ZPXXwANnIbjT36g774qwFM/s1600/To-Sucker-October-aster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZf2AfhPtQZrJHW24V6ipSb-t3gNXn-Kf4HfFYA3EqQLPO3ryfnQtkfELdaDqnkOMUj-u95SY9WfkRw6WQmY0eY6izybswfu1-b_w2OC8qv3K3kVaGHmok8ZPXXwANnIbjT36g774qwFM/s1600/To-Sucker-October-aster.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asters blooming in October in a logged area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Nine miles is a decently long hike, and I was starting to feel the wear in my joints toward the end. I had driven to the ending trailhead on Fox Farm Road and ridden my bike nearly ten miles along dirt and paved road to the starting trailhead, so I had already pushed my middle-aged body more than I would at a typical day at the office.<br />
<br />
So just when I felt I was in my little hiking nirvana... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKeGY8sQVpWMVngaA2SAkTUOMVklHGmSwyXaHJ5IupDp40woTWmbNI76r7szor0nrQE3gDd9v1Wq0gPtdV-aSR9M1Dq6P7JnqFcWBG1rfAu5R3V81STzyVEro9pUC5BNLvTVUHs2o1Ns/s1600/To-Sucker-flagging-logging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKeGY8sQVpWMVngaA2SAkTUOMVklHGmSwyXaHJ5IupDp40woTWmbNI76r7szor0nrQE3gDd9v1Wq0gPtdV-aSR9M1Dq6P7JnqFcWBG1rfAu5R3V81STzyVEro9pUC5BNLvTVUHs2o1Ns/s1600/To-Sucker-flagging-logging.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SHT goes straight through that brush pile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A bit tired, a bit elated from actually hiking in actual woods, I was thrown off my game in the last mile, as the trail entered an active logging area. I'd heard the rumble of engines and the hum of saws for a good half hour. Then the SHT ran right into an opening that, based on the smell of sawdust and equipments, had probably been cut in the last 48 hours. The only sign of the SHT was the occasional strip of pink flagging on the small trees left standing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC7RdCLsBy5GaMQfAge-M2-U4Emuna6ROe48-5JYdfeeCiquOzMKfNUcMem77bUFsGBl9rECo4uFNsbrNMymudtMDoFUewSkj5GHGJLsstxD4PluCTXU6WlrRgCkhgqLLtbbmoVWYMSc/s1600/To-Sucker-bridge-river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtC7RdCLsBy5GaMQfAge-M2-U4Emuna6ROe48-5JYdfeeCiquOzMKfNUcMem77bUFsGBl9rECo4uFNsbrNMymudtMDoFUewSkj5GHGJLsstxD4PluCTXU6WlrRgCkhgqLLtbbmoVWYMSc/s1600/To-Sucker-bridge-river.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the A-frame bridge over Sucker River.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I made it through the logging area by dumb luck and persistence. The final crossing of the Sucker River was lovely, and I was proud and pleased to complete my bike-hike circuit.<br />
<br />
Apparently, the next section of the SHT has even more logging activity. I'm letting my feet heal, dusting off my GPS, and planning another day in the woods next week. Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-74987046489318693612013-09-30T21:07:00.001-05:002013-09-30T21:07:14.252-05:00Twin Lakes Trail: A blast from the past<i>I've been stuck in Duluth this last week or so, wishing I could be
out hiking in the fall colors. I hear the colors are near peak. I
thought I'd repost a blog entry about one of the best fall color hikes
on the shore. Enjoy! Andrew</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338654147404299490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51ONZWZbULLj30y_F0IjoNKJdn0XCI65inarGvIFxDbHJPEYYOQixbeICbkXxCGmQrxMwD_K6qQXmyHyPO67kGG4qb389dC_sIn2qacXJALXo0zYmayPO-uWvxInLWyDBnKhdaX9WsvI/s400/Twin+Lakes+trail+map.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 253px; width: 400px;" /><br />
<br />
One
of the best hikes on the North Shore is the Twin Lakes Trail, also
known as the Bean and Bear Lakes hike. Most people hike to Bean Lake on
the Superior Hiking Trail, off of Penn Boulevard. The Twin Lakes Trail
has its own trailhead, right in town in Silver Bay. I think this access
is more wild and more interesting.<br />
<br />
The hike is 6.8
miles long and involves some pretty good climbing, so it's not suited
for young children. Pack a lunch, too. Not only will you need the
calories, but there are three really great lunch spots to sit and enjoy
the meal with a view.<br />
<br />
You'll find the Twin Lakes Trail
trailhead 0.3 miles up from the Highway 61 Silver Bay stoplights up
Outer Drive. The parking lot is also for the visitor information center
run by the Bay Area Historical Society. From the corner of the parking
lot, the trail follows a wide gravel ATV trail for about 0.3 miles. Then
the hiking trail cuts to the right off the ATV trail.<br />
<br />
Silver
Bay was the center of the damage from the April ice storm. This trail
had been hit hard, by falling trees and broken branches. But the trail
crews had cleared nearly the entire loop. THANK YOU TRAIL CREWS!!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgvLZU6W1xJAt_iiC9Zy-zpBKJ2LikebxomSXeaSZNZIJ1emqaiPBprY_nXYVo3KTUDKtwobRvLyX8TMlKeHG-VwUBiwjMR0lnJBxNqKaIgh8I0LrX5iCn63JQX8syhKOodMveJCZ7YY/s1600-h/Twin-Lakes-cleared.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338658226406372306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgvLZU6W1xJAt_iiC9Zy-zpBKJ2LikebxomSXeaSZNZIJ1emqaiPBprY_nXYVo3KTUDKtwobRvLyX8TMlKeHG-VwUBiwjMR0lnJBxNqKaIgh8I0LrX5iCn63JQX8syhKOodMveJCZ7YY/s400/Twin-Lakes-cleared.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
It's a lollipop loop, so you'll hike up 1.8 miles on the "stick" of the lollipop. That gets you to the crux move. Left or right?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZn2_kBGppw8zOKsJxMNTcUVZn73BLmo4gMpzH_0RUvATohyphenhyphenJsdeWETdh1120Lq_deoY9tTzN4oAbNxKQG4qWAaL75rmvDUzUZrSL0EOxOA3Ys7Cphw9shIM4uL4BRBybJ8n-spWOreQ/s1600-h/Twin-Lakes-crux.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338656723518668082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZn2_kBGppw8zOKsJxMNTcUVZn73BLmo4gMpzH_0RUvATohyphenhyphenJsdeWETdh1120Lq_deoY9tTzN4oAbNxKQG4qWAaL75rmvDUzUZrSL0EOxOA3Ys7Cphw9shIM4uL4BRBybJ8n-spWOreQ/s400/Twin-Lakes-crux.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<br />
I enjoyed going left and hiking clockwise around the 3.1 mile main loop.<br />
<br />
Some highlights, in hiking order:<br />
<br />
1) The view from the top of Elam's Knob, as the town of Silver Bay gets swallowed by the hills and forest and lake:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMNg6oSGVY_eQbYmHRAUmhn7Aqlw_X3ONDTc1SNh6oObQYwigUf0OjkOfQAXW0-o7s62jM9Ynqg_-eN-u_MbNI_vgeFeFKVQbCEjDHTJ0jVF0m2mGHtDQ8tJKcqSukPfzGX9YPCyVtQY/s1600-h/Twin-Lakes-Elams.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338657327078194642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMNg6oSGVY_eQbYmHRAUmhn7Aqlw_X3ONDTc1SNh6oObQYwigUf0OjkOfQAXW0-o7s62jM9Ynqg_-eN-u_MbNI_vgeFeFKVQbCEjDHTJ0jVF0m2mGHtDQ8tJKcqSukPfzGX9YPCyVtQY/s400/Twin-Lakes-Elams.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 266px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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2) The dramatic cliffs and far-below views of Bean Lake:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxaTGVoXnq23AyBnUeCMkkspgj0LQX-yJMLqspjCEaxzRFbVUmMzNffUBW19HMMWT3XpRKp-Aq7_ihe1scoYUbL1izpuMkuJugA93lLkO1h75XgfvaUtg5rw3HcUBbvVLNsiJM9Q920/s1600-h/Bean-Lake-overlook.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338657691540620834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxaTGVoXnq23AyBnUeCMkkspgj0LQX-yJMLqspjCEaxzRFbVUmMzNffUBW19HMMWT3XpRKp-Aq7_ihe1scoYUbL1izpuMkuJugA93lLkO1h75XgfvaUtg5rw3HcUBbvVLNsiJM9Q920/s400/Bean-Lake-overlook.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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3) The full view of Bear (close) and Bean (far) lakes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVhEy6nkz6kRxWUBDvn9sQDp5F__JOPrwvUE-xyeO8u9mwyQIlRPeZuSJ3nCim3oAexue1vYEgwFyc_6j9aBkynNMgOT0gIoXg6H05h8b4SfqdaKf_7vfl0TkkC9pN2aBmKXVeBwCBiY/s1600-h/Bear-and-Bean.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338657915311811090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVhEy6nkz6kRxWUBDvn9sQDp5F__JOPrwvUE-xyeO8u9mwyQIlRPeZuSJ3nCim3oAexue1vYEgwFyc_6j9aBkynNMgOT0gIoXg6H05h8b4SfqdaKf_7vfl0TkkC9pN2aBmKXVeBwCBiY/s400/Bear-and-Bean.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 266px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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It's
a great hike anytime of year. At least half of the hike is in maple
woods, so it's gorgeous in the fall. The spring wildflowers were nice
this week.<br />
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Get out and go wild!Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-49977256496136263662013-09-18T11:00:00.001-05:002013-09-18T11:23:15.538-05:00Dry Lake day hike: Easier in Ely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-p93nG3u1vabnPRyZn4YI07tNElk6X1jnCs9jf9kig13nk4t40_xTqzSKWogHGB2YPElgQpdET0Fx9uKuZHCkv4wv1P3B_d5bvMrKTx9LBV1hr-LRCK4yK8_63ondv0ZGO72r0bLNyo/s1600/Dry-Lake-Andrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-p93nG3u1vabnPRyZn4YI07tNElk6X1jnCs9jf9kig13nk4t40_xTqzSKWogHGB2YPElgQpdET0Fx9uKuZHCkv4wv1P3B_d5bvMrKTx9LBV1hr-LRCK4yK8_63ondv0ZGO72r0bLNyo/s1600/Dry-Lake-Andrew.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dry Lake sits a few miles north of Ely, just off the Echo Trail. A Superior National Forest trail circles the lake. The Dry Lake Trail shares the same parking lot and some of the same trail as the popular Bass Lake Trail, a six-plus mile circumnavigation of Bass Lake</span>. In comparison, the three-mile Dry Lake Trail packs more scenery per mile and yet has fewer hikers.<br />
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In the last year, the Superior National Forest has significantly improved the signage for the Dry Lake and Bass Lake trails, with accurate new maps at virtually every trail junction. The trail itself is fairly well maintained, with bridges over the creeks. There does always seem to be at least one tree down across the trail when I'm there, though. <br />
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The hike starts with a short approach to the loop. Watch for signage as the trail turns off a wide snowmobile trail onto a more rugged hiking trail, then climbs to the top of a high bluff. I always hike this trail clockwise, taking the left fork at what is now Junction 2. No particular reason for that, just habit.<br />
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The trail soon reaches Little Dry Lake. The most rugged part of the hike is along the north shore of Little Dry Lake, where the glaciers left a big rugged pile of cobblestone. A thick crop of poison ivy grows alongside the trail. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUoE9CcuCK9zLq83Zuj_PiSacSoHL3ybYK2te0K9ZIa_m303NXNzCRMdE3fzvKhVNMe39PFC6uM0Eo4UEICY31HFUZWPNUHPH17Xadf2ydnlc3u2VkBdCE7fAUk0L05XiVuwaB9vIHA0/s1600/Dry-Lake-poison-ivy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUoE9CcuCK9zLq83Zuj_PiSacSoHL3ybYK2te0K9ZIa_m303NXNzCRMdE3fzvKhVNMe39PFC6uM0Eo4UEICY31HFUZWPNUHPH17Xadf2ydnlc3u2VkBdCE7fAUk0L05XiVuwaB9vIHA0/s1600/Dry-Lake-poison-ivy.jpg" /></a></div>
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One of the scenic highlight is the high rocky bluff above the west shore of Dry Lake. There is no development on Dry Lake, just wild open public land, so stop for a nice long break at the bluff, marked on the maps as a scenic spot. <br />
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Another scenic highlight is Dry Falls. This is where the water from Dry Lake empties into Bass Lake.<br />
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From Dry Falls, it's a dramatic one-mile hike back to the parking area on the Echo Trail, along a pine-studded ridgeline with great views above and small patches of wintergreen below. <br />
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If you're in Ely and looking for an moderate half-day hike, you can't go wrong with the Dry Lake Trail. Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-75614687560897276772013-08-24T19:25:00.000-05:002013-08-24T19:25:24.760-05:00Hike to Two Harbors, Leg 5: Lismore Rd to Normanna Rd.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PnqrDuA6QtaeyuNKaAljw5i1kuu-KAav3veA7eexUX-A_vkM6h8Zca1DwvcdWgAw6iL68IYpmyJvur5iFJf5Er5A4gNIFc_v7cW5V23sEhFHJDPxm923zqP59zYALdgLFc1gVHf1e0Y/s1600/Lis-to-Nor-start-selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PnqrDuA6QtaeyuNKaAljw5i1kuu-KAav3veA7eexUX-A_vkM6h8Zca1DwvcdWgAw6iL68IYpmyJvur5iFJf5Er5A4gNIFc_v7cW5V23sEhFHJDPxm923zqP59zYALdgLFc1gVHf1e0Y/s1600/Lis-to-Nor-start-selfie.jpg" /></a></div>
I really wanted to like this hike. Back on my trek to Two Harbors after four weeks off, it should have been good to get off in the woods and put some miles on with the good old Superior Hiking Trail. 6.9 miles in the far outskirts of Duluth could be a decent hiking experience.<br />
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I did not like this hike. Chances are, you won't either. Unless you're a committed thru-hiker or a local neighbor looking for a hike, don't bother with this newly-open section of the Superior Hiking Trail.<br />
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Normally I look for something positive about every outdoor experience I have. While it might not have been the perfect hike for me, surely there is someone for whom that hike would be absolutely ideal.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf86iftgl0W6xiX7uuvyceIrEQaWgXS_8O94jTvPBiV22Wa7lZWSb-bsQXpMSVjVdxSi3GWEUPiOqSdwL9ufC_1iLMRmyAebQDOW1QBUNSbfu1vu8KSYlgXdhNc8NsmTgbV7o4wAxMls/s1600/Lis-to-Nor-snowmobile-trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf86iftgl0W6xiX7uuvyceIrEQaWgXS_8O94jTvPBiV22Wa7lZWSb-bsQXpMSVjVdxSi3GWEUPiOqSdwL9ufC_1iLMRmyAebQDOW1QBUNSbfu1vu8KSYlgXdhNc8NsmTgbV7o4wAxMls/s1600/Lis-to-Nor-snowmobile-trail.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most interesting part of the snowmobile trail. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This section is 6.9 miles long. However, less than two miles of that is actual hiking trail. The rest is either snowmobile trail, ATV trail, or glorified roadwalking. Most of the snowmobile trail is rough walking, with ankle-turning ruts buried under thick grass. The ATV trails were actually a little easier, but I felt totally disoriented as the trails wove past junctions. The ATV trails were, strangely, freshly mowed, as if the trail maintenance crew had just rode past on their John Deere lawnmowers. <br />
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There was an occasional view, mostly where the snowmobile trail crossed one of the marshy river areas, like Amity Creek or French River.<br />
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I believe the problem is that this trail was trying to be too much. A sign toward the end showed the uses for which the North Shore State Trail is managed. Snowmobiles are obvious. Cross-country skiing? Hard to imagine. Hiking? Well, physically that's possible, but not all that enjoyable. <br />
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My father wants to hike this section. It's the last SHT section he needs to hike. If I can't talk him out of it, at least I'll wait until fall to take him there. There were a few scattered sugar maple and basswood stands, so MAYBE there will be some decent fall colors. <br />
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Yes this trail gets you from Point A to Point B. But neither the destination or the journey are worth the buggy boring hassle. Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-78619886368515775562013-08-12T21:18:00.000-05:002013-08-12T21:18:24.297-05:00Get picking: it's blueberry time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6hyphenhyphenyqbJmgIXiYuK8CGZxzSW4JlVboPBAKJCWTXpjajqHec3MwMtiKSr9tb2d4wnPADRtpJcbwFi-BDvXRoVySWjjeWROQFsKN7y1yLeb12ZWw2qx73odFEhwoF8OlnRrYs_i5807v3Rx/s1600/Blue-Vista-blueberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6hyphenhyphenyqbJmgIXiYuK8CGZxzSW4JlVboPBAKJCWTXpjajqHec3MwMtiKSr9tb2d4wnPADRtpJcbwFi-BDvXRoVySWjjeWROQFsKN7y1yLeb12ZWw2qx73odFEhwoF8OlnRrYs_i5807v3Rx/s1600/Blue-Vista-blueberry.jpg" /></a></div>
I have lost touch with reality. As reports came in of wild blueberries all over the Gunflint Trail and the North Shore, I stayed home waiting for news from somewhere else...the South Shore. This weekend, we went to Blue Vista Farm in Bayfield and picked about two gallons of big, beautiful blueberries. No bug bites. No scratches from the hike in. No sore back from bending down or sitting on lichen-covered rocks.<br />
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Commercial pick-your-own berry farms are about quantity over quality. Domestic berries don't have the exquisite taste of wild berries. But you can fill your flat in less than an hour of picking.<br />
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Every farm product, from spinach to sweet corn, is late this year. South Shore berry farms are typically ready about two weeks before berry farms in the Duluth and North Shore area. So local Minnesota berries are just getting ready. For a week or two here in mid-August, there are commercial berries anywhere you go.<br />
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<b>Where to pick</b><br />
<u>In Wisconsin</u><br />
We're big fans of <a href="http://www.bluevistafarm.com/">Blue Vista Farms</a> in Bayfield. They have both organic and nonorganic berries, in a lovely old farmstead up in the hills over that great harbor town. <a href="http://bayfield.org/what-to-do/orchards-and-berry-farms/">Here's a link to all of Bayfield's orchards and berry farms</a>. <br />
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<u>In Minnesota</u><br />
The biggest pick-your-own blueberry farm in the Duluth/North Shore area is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackbirds-and-Blueberries/216075775109430">Blackbirds and Blueberries</a>, just east of Cloquet. Like many berry farms, they use Facebook to get the word out about picking times. It's always a good time out there as people from all over the region fill the fields and collect their buckets of blue joy. I've <a href="http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/2009/08/berry-farm-berries-large-and-lascivious.html">blogged about Blackbirds and Blueberries here</a>. <br />
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A little off the beaten path but definitely more "North Shore" is Sherry's Berries, in Alden Township inland from Lake Superior between Duluth and Two Harbors. Sherry's is small and personal, with certified organic berries. Call ahead to reserve a picking time and to get directions. Read <a href="http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/2012/08/north-shore-funky-blues.html">my blog entry from last year about Sherry's. </a><br />
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Whether it's on a rocky outcrop of the Superior Hiking Trail or a plush farm field in Wisconsin, picking blueberries connects you, body and soul, with wonderful wild places of the Lake Superior region. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-1559011757306673392013-07-26T13:42:00.000-05:002013-09-18T11:30:44.281-05:00Hiking to Two Harbors, Leg Four: Prindle Road to Lismore Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you, trailbuilders! <br />
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With the young girl and the old man, I completed the fourth leg of my hike to Two Harbors. It was Daphne the poodle and my father, the two of them nearly inseparable the whole way, hiking yesterday from Prindle Road to Lismore Road on the Superior Hiking Trail.<br />
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This is a brand-new section of the Superior Hiking Trail, just opened in June. Building a new hiking trail is a rare and beautiful thing. It's a commitment to the future and a gift to the present. The hard work of tree clearing, bridge construction and tread building yields a whole new experience. Like any new trail, this section brings people places they never would have gone before, along a route no one had followed before but is still...just...perfect.<br />
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We picked up this section of trail after <a href="http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/2013/07/hike-to-two-harbors-leg-3-martin-to.html">our brief tour of the English countryside the day before.</a> Here's where the newly-constructed trail splits off from the North Shore snowmobile trail:<br />
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After following snowmobile trail for over three miles, it felt great to get back in the woods again. I realized, for the umpteenth time, how different a real hiking trail is. It winds around trees instead of blasting through them. You have to watch your feet and your toes, so you see more of what's right there.The canopy of trees, especially in this young aspen forest, pulls you in like a funnel or a birth canal in reverse.<br />
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This is the first real virtuous long-distance hiking since the Superior Hiking Trail left Jay Cooke State Park. There are no campsites in eastern Duluth, so the assumption any thruhikers might sleep illegally or maybe stay in a hotel. Starting at this section, the SHT has trailside campsites every few miles. The Bald Eagle Campsite was one of the scenic highlights of the day, overlooking a beautiful little beaver pond. <br />
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Just when you might get sick of thick aspen forests, the trail opens up into a recently-logged area. For about half a mile, the trail runs through thick regrowth. Hats off to the trail building for going through, rather than avoiding, this cut-over area. The sun is nice, and so is the chance to watch nature reclaim this site over time.<br />
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This section of trail is great for locals looking to stretch their legs. It's mostly easy walking, just a little hilly at the Lismore Road end. It would be great birdwatching in the spring, with a wide range of habitats and edges. Good job, trailbuilders! <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-47999002639339119962013-07-24T13:04:00.000-05:002013-07-24T13:04:17.078-05:00Hike to Two Harbors, Leg 3: Martin to Prindle<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick Slade, Daphne and Hammo</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never walked in the English countryside. Today was darn close, however. We hiked...er, perambulated...2.5 miles from Martin Road to an unofficial trailhead on Prindle Road, and most of it through lovely farm fields. With my 82-year-old father and his faithful yellow retriever. And my own not quite as faithful poodle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My inheritance isn't vast tracts of bucolic estate lands or iconic castles. I inherited from my father a passion for hiking and for obscure long-term goals. Dick wants to have hiked the entire Superior Hiking Trail, and he accomplished that 10 years ago. But they keep adding new trail sections, so every few years we head out and explore the new terrain. I want to hike from Duluth to Two Harbors this year. I'm maybe a fifth of the way there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cue the theme song from Downton Abbey.</span><br />
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British indeed:<br />
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Our feet were damp from morning dew in the unmowed grass.<br />
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We passed farmers working by hand in their fields.<br />
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Old barns loomed over the hills. <br />
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Even the names of the landmarks we passed were veddy veddy British: Martin, Amity, Riley, Prindle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick and Andrew Slade at Martin Road trailhead</td></tr>
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This stretch of the Superior Hiking Trail is located entirely on the North Shore State Trail. The North Shore State Trail was built for snowmobiling, not hiking. And in winter, this landscape would not be nearly as green or luscious as it was today. Lucky us!<br />
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But where were the tea and crumpets when we finished the hike?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old barn beyond the trail bridge.</td></tr>
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The hike to Two Harbors continues tomorrow, from Prindle Road to Lismore Road. No more English countryside, I'm afraid. Just lovely woods, a few deerflies, and one foot in front of another. Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-2068396980468716942013-07-23T20:43:00.002-05:002013-07-23T20:43:57.902-05:00Hike to Two Harbors, Leg 2: Hartley to Martin<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlook of Amity Creek valley</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My summer hike from Duluth to Two Harbors continued today, two-plus weeks after it started (<a href="http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/2013/07/hike-to-two-harbors-leg-1-home-to.html">read about my hike from my house to Hartley here</a>). </span>Today was the shortest stretch of all, from Hartley Park to Martin Road. <br />
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It felt great to be out on the trail again. It sounds corny, but the woods and trails are <i>really quiet</i>. And <i>peaceful</i>. Note to self: Hiking is good. <br />
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I ended my last hike at the corner of Woodland and Fairmont. Instead of using the Duluth Transit Authority for my shuttle this time, I used my bike. I parked at the Martin Road trailhead, then rode my bike back down Woodland Avenue to Fairmont Street, locked the bike up, and hiked on the "trail" up Carlisle Street.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SHT along Vermilion Road</td></tr>
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Nearly half of this hike was on city streets, though it was mostly quiet back streets. The only car that passed me was on its way to the same trailhead, driven by a mom and two kids off to pick juneberries. The route passes between two cemeteries, well-landscaped park-like settings that just happen to have hundreds of tombstones. <br />
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As part of the Superior Hiking Trail, this section is unique and ultimately forgettable. The one big viewpoint into the Amity Creek valley pales in comparison to nearly any viewpoint east or west along the trail. Road walking is tedious. <a href="http://northshore-thereandback.blogspot.com/2009/10/definitely-not-one-of-americas-best.html">I've commented on this trail section before</a>, even though I hadn't hiked it, when Backpacker Magazine named it one of the 100 best day hikes in the US apparently without actually hiking it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyrola along SHT</td></tr>
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But, hey, it's hiking. Hiking is good. All on its own. The sky was blue. It was a cool summer morning with no bugs. There were some lovely pyrola blooming by the trail, as well as cow parsnip and forget-me-not. Even a healthy young birch forest.<br />
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So now my journey to Two Harbors has reached the Martin Road trailhead. I have a date with my 82-year-old father to pick up from there tomorrow morning. I know it won't be a glorious climb like Carlton Peak or a challenging roller coaster like the area around Finland. But it will be hiking. And hiking is good. <br />
<br />Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-47251124416974016302013-07-22T20:40:00.000-05:002013-07-22T20:40:01.009-05:00Berry picking: Better late than never<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJVnxiYr0u-n-3Id1lJg9p3RAN79U8FOJyhQrc8J6-KnHVeJNfBUBJmkG_TqAdO5-BLzY4AunePUQub8SLtWoaWSFmU2I47jrd_jtZ8wFsbs8446Cxlxp4Btx0tVFq3rF_LygwpiUvyAC/s1600/Finke's-four-berries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJVnxiYr0u-n-3Id1lJg9p3RAN79U8FOJyhQrc8J6-KnHVeJNfBUBJmkG_TqAdO5-BLzY4AunePUQub8SLtWoaWSFmU2I47jrd_jtZ8wFsbs8446Cxlxp4Btx0tVFq3rF_LygwpiUvyAC/s1600/Finke's-four-berries.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh berries in the straw.</td></tr>
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Nothing tastes more like a Northland summer than a freshly-picked strawberry. The more juices running down your chin the better. After weeks of painful delay, pick-your-own berry season is underway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids picking strawberries in the field at Finke's</td></tr>
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Last year the strawberry season was almost a complete washout. With a late spring frost followed by mold-inducing June floods, the harvest was less than a quarter of what it could have been.<br />
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This year's harvest is late but bountiful. We went to Finke's Berry Farm late last week, about forty minutes south of Duluth and just off I-35, and picked four gallons of lush, ripe strawberries. One hot night in the kitchen later, we have a stockpile of delicious natural strawberry jam ready for a year full of PB&J's. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a few days ago, more like 14 picking days remain now.</td></tr>
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For more information on picking at Finke's, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FinkesBerryFarm">"Like" them on Facebook</a>. That way you'll get the latest updates on picking times. Oh, and those in the know call them "Fink's", not "Fink-ee's"</div>
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The other local strawberry pick-your-own farm is in Oulu, Wisconsin. Johnsons Berry Patch saved my summer and our kids' lunches last year after other local strawberry farms got washed out. Johnson's has been growing strawberries since 1951 and are not quite as modern as Finke's. So no Facebook page. All I could find online <a href="http://ouluwis.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:johnsons-berry-patch&catid=25:businesses&Itemid=65">is this description</a>. It is a lovely drive out past Brule and along a charming backroad. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-14489597409216787722013-07-08T17:58:00.000-05:002013-07-08T20:53:50.800-05:00Hike to Two Harbors: Leg 1, Home to Hartley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HruKXT2m-5wYJBmXJeaR1RKX-XxCRlNH2RQWlK4CKvHDpvyLbkXKyLJmeR6ZH72Jmg2pyh-xLb7ODjDS2GsQ0nAPVQfXYE0v7QMzz2la46VxH3OwGDF9D09oyYo2HM01blwqIyDk7O0O/s1600/To-Hartley-bridge-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HruKXT2m-5wYJBmXJeaR1RKX-XxCRlNH2RQWlK4CKvHDpvyLbkXKyLJmeR6ZH72Jmg2pyh-xLb7ODjDS2GsQ0nAPVQfXYE0v7QMzz2la46VxH3OwGDF9D09oyYo2HM01blwqIyDk7O0O/s1600/To-Hartley-bridge-logo.jpg" /> </a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, there are a few things you should know about me:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really like the idea of Duluth's urban wilderness, of wolves and moose walking our streets and wild places, of vast open forests just beyond city limits. That's what inspired me to move here back in the 1980s, and has kept me here.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to set modest, attainable goals for myself. I dream way too big, but easily focus on the small. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Also, you might want to know that as of June 1, 2013, the Superior Hiking Trail runs continuously from Duluth to Two Harbors. Well, actually it runs all the way to Canada, but the big news of this summer is that with two new sections basically the entire trail is complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lot of folks take off every year to thru-hike the Superior Hiking Trail. Even more folks try to thru-hike far longer trails, like the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. My modest and attainable goal for this summer is to hike all the way from Duluth to Two Harbors on the Superior Hiking Trail, as my little way to celebrate the long-awaited completion of the Trail.</span><br />
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I started this weekend with my first leg, 6.5 miles from my house in Duluth to Hartley Nature Center. The first mile or so of my journey was along the Downtown Lakewalk. No, that is not me in the picture below. Yes I was hiking alone, but I was in a much better mood than this guy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGeULybV8qK0VxrVM_vltCCTs9o606-aPIdlqppvLgNSO9RWqD9P8mBKBr4lQCRtVJAK1hRQSZrrHkVbHgkCymBvR2zRFd7zSZQyAfOicniYbczjkyAuS_eqPWzwy87kkcq1IgLkVxxjk/s1600/To-Hartley-lake-corner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGeULybV8qK0VxrVM_vltCCTs9o606-aPIdlqppvLgNSO9RWqD9P8mBKBr4lQCRtVJAK1hRQSZrrHkVbHgkCymBvR2zRFd7zSZQyAfOicniYbczjkyAuS_eqPWzwy87kkcq1IgLkVxxjk/s1600/To-Hartley-lake-corner.jpg" /></a> </div>
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While this is the Superior Hiking Trail, it is not anything like the rest of the Superior Hiking Trail. The only similarity was the signage along the way. Here's the sign pointing the route of the "Trail" up Duluth's 14th Avenue East:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ3CR9mMwmX4Ypxe7R8lWZNl9_VRCavwk7BJvErLp9VeF6J5o7N9ZjglYQF70FJP5tyQv0w1SbjErcMApmf-b_kmhSyMLVTZ_GeDglyJTkJxo7ifs652q82cx3-fblVXcpX2yk3s9RQ2n/s1600/To-Hartley-14th-Ave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ3CR9mMwmX4Ypxe7R8lWZNl9_VRCavwk7BJvErLp9VeF6J5o7N9ZjglYQF70FJP5tyQv0w1SbjErcMApmf-b_kmhSyMLVTZ_GeDglyJTkJxo7ifs652q82cx3-fblVXcpX2yk3s9RQ2n/s1600/To-Hartley-14th-Ave.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGeULybV8qK0VxrVM_vltCCTs9o606-aPIdlqppvLgNSO9RWqD9P8mBKBr4lQCRtVJAK1hRQSZrrHkVbHgkCymBvR2zRFd7zSZQyAfOicniYbczjkyAuS_eqPWzwy87kkcq1IgLkVxxjk/s1600/To-Hartley-lake-corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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The trail starts to get wooded and rugged (like the rest of the Superior Hiking Trail) when it crosses Fourth Street and enters Chester Park. While I could have stopped in at Burrito Union for sustenance, I plugged on. For almost a mile, the trail climbs up the west side of the creek, under towering white pines, past dramatic little waterfalls, and away from city noises.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiL5yt0pgeeQtNOphxlIb8KaOsO3asawxQwAkIy-GBhQOtTCrDOseTKZwGIOM8uj-vDe1ejv2TwiOzNrKTGEsaLT6qbVZgoro24rV0oOF-40eSQCahtpML1VFOLC8u2UuHdSNfKcqiusd/s1600/To-Hartley-Chester-Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiL5yt0pgeeQtNOphxlIb8KaOsO3asawxQwAkIy-GBhQOtTCrDOseTKZwGIOM8uj-vDe1ejv2TwiOzNrKTGEsaLT6qbVZgoro24rV0oOF-40eSQCahtpML1VFOLC8u2UuHdSNfKcqiusd/s1600/To-Hartley-Chester-Creek.jpg" /> </a></div>
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Climbing out of the Chester Creek valley, there's another half-mile or so on city sidewalks before the Superior Hiking Trail enters UMD's Bagley Nature Area. There I enjoyed the sturdy metal deck on top of the old downhill ski run. I could see all the way back to Park Point, where my hike had begun an hour and a half earlier.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQ3HhgW2pZE8qFKlrmK-_OzDMQw3KqwP_8mAAJPeGhyAjiQwy2AMj1vsfo4V0La3_0UudE1mQczaTZ2Vt8OoTeb-tcmqw8pH71AhVAgYLYEjmrG1532PYu2la5GVNeWxKZmumjTEtDiPO/s1600/To-Hartley-Bagley-deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQ3HhgW2pZE8qFKlrmK-_OzDMQw3KqwP_8mAAJPeGhyAjiQwy2AMj1vsfo4V0La3_0UudE1mQczaTZ2Vt8OoTeb-tcmqw8pH71AhVAgYLYEjmrG1532PYu2la5GVNeWxKZmumjTEtDiPO/s1600/To-Hartley-Bagley-deck.jpg" /> </a></div>
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The most natural and remote part of the hike was through Hartley Nature Center. Not coincidentally, this was the first stretch of trail I'd been on that day that had been built specifically to be the Superior Hiking Trail. Everything else had been existing trails that had been connected simply by putting up the signs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcpOaukKcGSWS_r1YdRcbfVkmCv5soA-YJspc3HJKWSc9_78gPgSsuumfEMm9s7HOU-RePjr4TSTEgFsocIPfIwncE0dB6cUtk3xSFhIJROtHXWuizT7DsD_NPX6xYvOOWkMbKARca4Z4/s1600/To-Hartley-ridge-forest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcpOaukKcGSWS_r1YdRcbfVkmCv5soA-YJspc3HJKWSc9_78gPgSsuumfEMm9s7HOU-RePjr4TSTEgFsocIPfIwncE0dB6cUtk3xSFhIJROtHXWuizT7DsD_NPX6xYvOOWkMbKARca4Z4/s1600/To-Hartley-ridge-forest.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9dJvq77w9BUFP4kaZ39RLwf30-s7k1JcHvfnLbUPTds6vrtpZycn7NPpcGylwX0pRXenePWNQz2OnSSp8tJSUIHnqaggpCJ8Y1T-JaTPfEEzynbEuGxeG36yF7HWZaED5wGf2FvcUEyX/s1600/To-Hartley-DTA-stop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9dJvq77w9BUFP4kaZ39RLwf30-s7k1JcHvfnLbUPTds6vrtpZycn7NPpcGylwX0pRXenePWNQz2OnSSp8tJSUIHnqaggpCJ8Y1T-JaTPfEEzynbEuGxeG36yF7HWZaED5wGf2FvcUEyX/s1600/To-Hartley-DTA-stop.jpg" /></a>The trail popped out of the woods at Hartley Pond and finished up down at the Hartley Nature Center building. From there it was a short walk up to Woodland Avenue and the Duluth Transit Authority bus stop. 75 cents and a 30-minute ride on the Route 13 bus brought me back downtown and a short stroll back over the Lift Bridge and home again. <br />
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The whole experience, including the bus shuttle back home, took three and a half hours. It's not the most scenic stretch of the Superior Hiking Trail and it might just be the busiest stretch. It was a great way to shake out my hiking legs and get ready for the many miles ahead on my modest, attainable goal. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-86341695333385444662013-06-25T06:52:00.000-05:002013-06-25T06:52:20.712-05:00German lesson: spazieren the North Shore<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe8-Ubbu9s5UG1xinLDg6zWIduPim5HgRIDiem_BAu1AXgmtnrYIix5_N10vof60mHcxdYpXW6ZbkKWehTFIwm2l4QLYZURpXdDxEfN4Ep_wjCmOrKJarEA1f1kwc0g1JhZEamyJrNFdO/s1600/Germany-flowers-castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWe8-Ubbu9s5UG1xinLDg6zWIduPim5HgRIDiem_BAu1AXgmtnrYIix5_N10vof60mHcxdYpXW6ZbkKWehTFIwm2l4QLYZURpXdDxEfN4Ep_wjCmOrKJarEA1f1kwc0g1JhZEamyJrNFdO/s1600/Germany-flowers-castle.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers and Lichtenstein Castle, Swabian Alps</td></tr>
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<br />I just got back from a ten-day trip Germany. There is so much to learn and experience there, even with their natural areas. Amazing how in so densely populated a country there are such great trails and great experiences in natural areas. <br /><br />Natural areas in Germany are:<br /><ul>
<li>Very well-marked (excellent trail guides are available)</li>
<li>Accessible by public transportation</li>
<li>Lots of amenities (and by amenities, I mean beer) (or ice cream)</li>
<li>Lots of people, and they’re better dressed than you are.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB2VU2xZP2xZR0pMMimuWEcF-D7ev5xaezTguRbsXB6QX0baYM-Qr6uFvHrevcXnDgYJAAGulkvKlTzflG5vm8YBNp-DnXCEHbHyF8FTEi34Rj3YbJZGC7xcpFJiccJzyTHM-julwA2Vu/s1600/Germany-muffin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB2VU2xZP2xZR0pMMimuWEcF-D7ev5xaezTguRbsXB6QX0baYM-Qr6uFvHrevcXnDgYJAAGulkvKlTzflG5vm8YBNp-DnXCEHbHyF8FTEi34Rj3YbJZGC7xcpFJiccJzyTHM-julwA2Vu/s1600/Germany-muffin.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of a blueberry muffin, sidewalk cafe, Berlin</td></tr>
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If you want to go out on foot, you might need a little German vocabulary lesson. You might want to know the difference between <i>spazieren</i> (basically, going for a stroll) and <i>wandern</i> (hiking long distances)<br /><br /> My books are mostly about <i>wandern</i>, longer distance hiking. While many Germans love to hike, virtually all Germans <i>spazieren</i>.<br /><br />If you want a good German outdoor experience but don't want the jet lag, you can <i>spazieren</i> on the North Shore as well. <br /><br /><b>Where to stroll the North Shore, in style</b><br />One obvious place is the Downtown Lakewalk. You can put on your Sunday best, walk for a little while, stop at a sidewalk cafe for drinks or ice cream. Plenty of people, plenty of experience. <br />
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But wait, there’s more North Shore <i>spazieren</i>:<br /><br />Head up the North Shore to Two Harbors and take a civilized stroll around Lighthouse Point. That’s Hike 14 in my book Hiking the North Shore. It’s a 3.4 mile loop that is two-thirds rocky Lake Superior shoreline and one-third city sidewalks. Throw in a lighthouse, a huge steam engine, and the Dairy Queen, and you’ve got a European-style hike experience.You can start this hike at Burlington Beach, just off Highway 61 at the city campground on the east edge of town.<br /><br />For the ultimate German outdoor experience on the North Shore, head for Lutsen Mountains and take the gondola to the top of Moose Mountain. That’s where you start Hike 35 in my book, a 4.2 mile hike back down to the base along the Superior Hiking Trail. But you can totally just stroll along the ridgeline, enjoy the amazing views, then hang out at the mountain top chalet and enjoy the views some more...with a beverage.<br />
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<i>Auf wiedersehen</i>!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-40713870554332969562013-05-22T10:11:00.001-05:002013-05-22T10:11:21.124-05:00Wandering warblers by the waves<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S4BYnQmdPdYlmMwpLq7PkMusrxjn2PJ-ky6Hyf_omUPD7UCNZryVId3D4W664HPuR6D4L-z8nT55NNpn1Q0ghu93vQJ-AyWWIemEsAt7WXa1nj9ySlowsKV9dsjDT-tWdWFGfES-YtbT/s1600/Beach-parula-water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S4BYnQmdPdYlmMwpLq7PkMusrxjn2PJ-ky6Hyf_omUPD7UCNZryVId3D4W664HPuR6D4L-z8nT55NNpn1Q0ghu93vQJ-AyWWIemEsAt7WXa1nj9ySlowsKV9dsjDT-tWdWFGfES-YtbT/s1600/Beach-parula-water.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Parula (lower left) faces the waves</td></tr>
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It's spring...sort of...in Duluth. Birds are migrating through...slowly. Living here on Park Point, we see a lot of migrating birds, especially when it's foggy and windy out. Then they pause for the duration to find refuge and a little bit of food. Birders call it a "fallout."<br />
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Here's <a href="http://birder.areavoices.com/2013/05/21/warbler-fallout-3/">a good local blog entry</a> on the fallout frenzy in Duluth. One birder found 24 different species of warblers on Park Point in just a few hours this weekend. <br />
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For the last few days, there have been dozens and dozens of warblers visiting our backyard and the sandy Park Point beach. Out on the beach, they are hanging out on the little lines of debris washed up by the waves. They must be finding something to eat there, maybe little dead insects.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip36iOI6BdmXcMAE2RxC1naoFto9XlaDNio6Va6OnER4s6aEFJAYWLtznHb7Nw3W1FWbFm8HEFhtkzxrr-Yo7m1v75OS-mjE8xP7Ueenhs_er1bQ_i_jAOjgpoBa_wJ037vGclNNdKjeHn/s1600/Beach-redstart-sand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip36iOI6BdmXcMAE2RxC1naoFto9XlaDNio6Va6OnER4s6aEFJAYWLtznHb7Nw3W1FWbFm8HEFhtkzxrr-Yo7m1v75OS-mjE8xP7Ueenhs_er1bQ_i_jAOjgpoBa_wJ037vGclNNdKjeHn/s1600/Beach-redstart-sand.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Redstart on the sand</td></tr>
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These birds are tired, hungry and cold. If you're walking your dog on the beach, keep the dog on the leash so they don't chase these birds to exhaustion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpdcHRbJVLBjeP_6GVIE4AwceS4wkgyj-8_lv8N4QNKRSYtMq8c75iJF3lLgJuvFkZ8KFgJcmmMWb3U6lqVSoZOknKS7fDfNlrVedH4UiQIRwRhDVVIenMgGE1l0em43HUR0N2H8vPVo5/s1600/Beach-parula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpdcHRbJVLBjeP_6GVIE4AwceS4wkgyj-8_lv8N4QNKRSYtMq8c75iJF3lLgJuvFkZ8KFgJcmmMWb3U6lqVSoZOknKS7fDfNlrVedH4UiQIRwRhDVVIenMgGE1l0em43HUR0N2H8vPVo5/s1600/Beach-parula.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Parula, up close</td></tr>
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Northeastern Minnesota, with its deep forests and its clean lakes and rivers, is warbler paradise. These little flits of life fill our habitats with their songs and color. It's an honor to help them along their way. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-65804454722658332912013-05-05T21:45:00.003-05:002013-05-05T21:45:54.401-05:00We found spring on the Western Waterfront Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuG7hgmGf7eFSqsewp5KdLqS0YMhVEPs_PCX-yThjDvSwwtAsyjjmygXP7ZIO9KVi0HQk3Q_vcR6w2CQO0Tydg9A2o9sy7xgMEaH-qFRJCqQ_TAxhUr_zmu3ErC3otWXbloVYTU3ucCgF/s1600/WWFT-coming-round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuG7hgmGf7eFSqsewp5KdLqS0YMhVEPs_PCX-yThjDvSwwtAsyjjmygXP7ZIO9KVi0HQk3Q_vcR6w2CQO0Tydg9A2o9sy7xgMEaH-qFRJCqQ_TAxhUr_zmu3ErC3otWXbloVYTU3ucCgF/s1600/WWFT-coming-round.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure it's May 5th already. But when I told Sally I wanted to go for a hike this Sunday afternoon, her question was</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> obvious</span>, "Where?" As in, "Are you crazy, everything is snowy, muddy or crowded." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Duluth's Western Waterfront Trail is a reliable destination for an early spring hike, even when early spring comes in early May like this year. The wide gravel trail dries out early. Migrating waterfowl fill both inviting stretches of open water and the various grassy mudflats around the edges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I recommend in my book <a href="http://www.thereandbackbooks.com/hiking-the-north-shore.php"><i>Hiking the North Shore</i></a>, we headed for the obscure eastern trailhead of the Western Waterfront Trail, on 63rd Ave. West. From there you can hike three miles along Duluth's upper St. Louis River estuary. Despite the sunny weather, we had the trail nearly to ourselves. The poodle was stuck on the leash, and had a great time sniffing up all the smells coming out of the thawing ground. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYHxFFxyUWdR7I2HUqo-4TfLEdroC8FME3u0VzlXGVoWpPShCGJcAMmnP829vFxvHlWjJqoZqv2CXk-ZTyFutVN_UTQEl4OeEw8pU5d16BSmtepLp7BSgHxW0qZTbibmlQzSqkHolZL7a/s1600/WWFT-log-bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYHxFFxyUWdR7I2HUqo-4TfLEdroC8FME3u0VzlXGVoWpPShCGJcAMmnP829vFxvHlWjJqoZqv2CXk-ZTyFutVN_UTQEl4OeEw8pU5d16BSmtepLp7BSgHxW0qZTbibmlQzSqkHolZL7a/s1600/WWFT-log-bridge.jpg" /></a></div>
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The trail did sustain some damage in last year's June flood, and things are still stabilizing. At one place, a stream had chosen its own crossing about fifty feet away from the old bridge and one hundred feet away from the new culvert. But it's still in excellent shape overall. <br />
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So while you're waiting for the Superior Hiking Trail to emerge from winter, and if you don't want to deal with the crowds on the Duluth Lakewalk or the paved paths of Gooseberry Falls, head for the Western Waterfront Trail.<br />
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<b>Warbler Walks on the Western Waterfront Trail</b><br />
If it's a Tuesday in May, head for the Western Waterfront Trail at 6:30 AM for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/duluthaudubonsociety">Duluth Audubon Society's annual spring warbler walks</a>. Bring your binoculars!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-86696707847547787792013-04-29T17:09:00.001-05:002013-04-29T17:09:35.019-05:00North Shore Waterfalls: Stay close to shore<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTq76goJ5JAF11Kn7G9HWC9gFBGysLnjAXGUancYxoAKkaAe01ByFBlz9TwOhWBysTR_sA4NX4EWilpadFFj4BEC7D8DkL1rWLDJVED4ktP6NY7RXqep47kFzZ5mkat8wbR-oi9mNSxlq/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-cleats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTq76goJ5JAF11Kn7G9HWC9gFBGysLnjAXGUancYxoAKkaAe01ByFBlz9TwOhWBysTR_sA4NX4EWilpadFFj4BEC7D8DkL1rWLDJVED4ktP6NY7RXqep47kFzZ5mkat8wbR-oi9mNSxlq/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-cleats.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signs warning Gooseberry Falls visitor</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in the last few days, the waterfalls of the North Shore, from Duluth to Grand Portage, have shed their curtains of ice and are starting to roar. Record late snowfall will feed these falls for weeks to come as the woods slowly release their snowy load.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQ89o1ODETtBnxUloHIdzbPtEWCJMkC4DIPsVd_d74P2Kpn8sarutErRdoVU_SuxQKfkhgcO2YiNgDnlG2zgl1t6P8AWXiov2QwnoX3PIxZcgWqc_pn3EQwVUOgxWoE76MprDZygckDYz/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-ice-cedar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQ89o1ODETtBnxUloHIdzbPtEWCJMkC4DIPsVd_d74P2Kpn8sarutErRdoVU_SuxQKfkhgcO2YiNgDnlG2zgl1t6P8AWXiov2QwnoX3PIxZcgWqc_pn3EQwVUOgxWoE76MprDZygckDYz/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-ice-cedar.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River ice from the Gooseberry pushed up against an old cedar</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ice on the rivers must have just broken up in the last week. Along the banks of the Gooseberry River today, foot-thick chunks of river ice were piled up against the ancient cedar trees that hold the banks against the milky flood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately for us fans of waterfalls, it will be tough going to see these torrents up close. The snowpack still reaches all the way to the lakeshore. At Gooseberry Falls State Park, where at least a foot of snow is found in the woods around the visitor center and much more inland, signs warn visitors to the most popular falls to use ice cleats (and "CAUTION"). </span><br />
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<b>How do I know?</b><br />
I decided this morning to check out one of my favorite North Shore waterfall hikes. It's Hike #17 in my book <i><a href="http://www.thereandbackbooks.com/hiking-the-north-shore.php">Hiking the North Shore: 50 Fabulous Day Hikes in Minnesota's Spectacular Lake Superior Region</a></i>. It's a three-mile hike that runs up one side of and down the other of the Gooseberry River, bringing you to all five of the park's main waterfalls.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SPO7do4n-W2x0FJV0ykBU0JwYDduVANDhtCNvMFW_-d6yl-F-LgXyhZVWaokNVkY-ZOWb2KfXOv_aaSVPTpGUpmYUuGTJ7tctBPHVkjBeTbK6CsYHVa4An_kY7ioGABWyPcfPiYwiosc/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SPO7do4n-W2x0FJV0ykBU0JwYDduVANDhtCNvMFW_-d6yl-F-LgXyhZVWaokNVkY-ZOWb2KfXOv_aaSVPTpGUpmYUuGTJ7tctBPHVkjBeTbK6CsYHVa4An_kY7ioGABWyPcfPiYwiosc/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-ladies.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper Falls, Gooseberry River</td></tr>
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It was easy going on the wide paved path as far as Upper Falls, the blocky fall right above Highway 61. Then it got snowy. And slushy. And wet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL0mIoD-AeLfUJEnP5x38F0Mc3bWgk5ADOuTSD4MqZo_mhFFg7vM6FHnhaaXzMln-v-QEjnDxhVjpko7ya3rEkl1OYI4yfWLG8N_CJVjXROK7j0aWLAIolhFDSy7ucgctJ5x4rGqvyp2M/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-Andrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL0mIoD-AeLfUJEnP5x38F0Mc3bWgk5ADOuTSD4MqZo_mhFFg7vM6FHnhaaXzMln-v-QEjnDxhVjpko7ya3rEkl1OYI4yfWLG8N_CJVjXROK7j0aWLAIolhFDSy7ucgctJ5x4rGqvyp2M/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-Andrew.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew on Fifth Fall Bridge</td></tr>
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Slippy through the slush along the southwest bank, I made it all the way to Fifth Falls, where I crossed the river on the incredibly scenic footbridge. The northeast bank of the river had more sunshine on it and was a bit less snowy. And a bit more muddy. It was tough going.<br />
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<b>Other parks, same story </b><br />
This pattern of snowy slushy hiking on North Shore waterfall hike is true all the way up the shore. The snow gets deep fast as soon as you head inland from the lake and from Highway 61. Another favorite waterfalls hike, the Split Rock River loop on the Superior Hiking Trail, is probably deep in wet snow along the west side of the river.<br />
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For the best waterfall hiking on the North Shore this week, stick close to the lake and on well-used paths. If you have cleats for your shoes, strap them on; last thing you want is to slip off the well-packed trail down the gorge and into the just-melted river water rushing away.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPF3OUA4H47uZT0jZC-c_P46uUqR-v34ygrJE3ADzB63qOgs8R4rO9kl5wuOZ3YRiDDlrqMVUWhNn5ppkyQ4sADO4sORqCNgP9IFZeH6Itz5Xe3N0g0lBPZzOi59VPAxdpZT0hcAtujjk/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-middle-ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPF3OUA4H47uZT0jZC-c_P46uUqR-v34ygrJE3ADzB63qOgs8R4rO9kl5wuOZ3YRiDDlrqMVUWhNn5ppkyQ4sADO4sORqCNgP9IFZeH6Itz5Xe3N0g0lBPZzOi59VPAxdpZT0hcAtujjk/s1600/Gooseberry-falls-middle-ice.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Broken up river ice below Middle Falls, Gooseberry River</td></tr>
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In Gooseberry, the basic trail around Middle and Lower Falls is in decent shape. People were strolling around in shorts and sneakers, despite the warnings. The famous Middle Falls is as scenic as anything else in the park. The stacked-up pile of broken-up river ice near the base of the falls shows the power of the river at break-up. At Cascade River State Park, the short loop around the lower river is good for hiking, with some mud and some occasional ice spots. <br />
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So you should definitely go check out some North Shore waterfalls this week or next. By the time the great hiking trails dry up, the waterfalls might have dried up too. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-56994723315511274002013-04-03T20:36:00.000-05:002013-04-03T20:36:36.798-05:00North Shore ski season: Sudden death overtime<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMiH4nxTob0L3Y_KW3oBVbIoZwpbKs5mB-IJuWR5YS7NmFHDMxPFQBWpfAdF1cOo4bPSqAIefLivnx1mkVT60bVbk7KUdUgVMzWMwk39McCJTvX26cqgB19Vt79cVqV2cM0wda689cz35/s1600/Piedmont-last-ski-smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMiH4nxTob0L3Y_KW3oBVbIoZwpbKs5mB-IJuWR5YS7NmFHDMxPFQBWpfAdF1cOo4bPSqAIefLivnx1mkVT60bVbk7KUdUgVMzWMwk39McCJTvX26cqgB19Vt79cVqV2cM0wda689cz35/s1600/Piedmont-last-ski-smile.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Piedmont Ski Trail overlook, April 3, 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All good things must come to an end. Eventually, this amazingly late North Shore ski season will be over. But not yet. I skied three kilometers this afternoon on Duluth's Piedmont Ski Trail, and it was basically pretty okay. There is a lot of snow in the woods. As long as the night time temps keep going below freezing, we'll have skiing. But all it will take is a heavy rain or a few days in the fifties, and it will be over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few updates for the committed North Shore skier:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">City of Duluth trails</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The city crews stopped grooming early last week. Positive reports are still coming in from Lester and Piedmont. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boulder Lake Ski Trails</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good folks at Minnesota Power are still out grooming the trails. According to their phone hotline, skate lanes are in good shape. For the most recent updates, find "Boulder Lake Ski Trails" out on Facebook.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sugarbush Trails</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up in Lutsen and Tofte, they're still grooming their terrific trails. <a href="http://www.sugarbushtrail.org/TrailReportFinal.htm">Their reports</a> say Fair to Good for virtually the whole system.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrL8Gt7qMoAiCIez2G3M_7eAuvgzJGhufnS6pSrg50gYwjziYOe_CyTAiVtssj1h0vUJL07R_LPGrDzeEkClauImStFxDHFShWVdlHZhIHhhcCCu3nE6onrFXb7QT390DKhsXheREWZPt/s1600/Piedmont-last-ski-away.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrL8Gt7qMoAiCIez2G3M_7eAuvgzJGhufnS6pSrg50gYwjziYOe_CyTAiVtssj1h0vUJL07R_LPGrDzeEkClauImStFxDHFShWVdlHZhIHhhcCCu3nE6onrFXb7QT390DKhsXheREWZPt/s1600/Piedmont-last-ski-away.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for me, I'm out of here. For the next 10 days, we're off to explore the desert canyon country again. When we're back, the trails will all be mud and energy bar wrappers. I am done. My good ski season has in fact come to an end. </span><br />
<br />
Unless...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-30814145603244946232013-03-18T11:05:00.001-05:002013-03-18T11:05:26.474-05:00Bonus season: Take another lap<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-87W4rxwTAyb3vQibNwLpD-ANuMLSCezNXZCKtcz3_e7VD078fXzqHQlJTJp88YOE8dF4JrPoxpOvyfyDrG__aIKSh-VKqfYZGT1ZglOrinlNomRMj8S4aXZqGw1GIFPa7TG3OgNknY8/s1600/Piedmont-Finnish-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-87W4rxwTAyb3vQibNwLpD-ANuMLSCezNXZCKtcz3_e7VD078fXzqHQlJTJp88YOE8dF4JrPoxpOvyfyDrG__aIKSh-VKqfYZGT1ZglOrinlNomRMj8S4aXZqGw1GIFPa7TG3OgNknY8/s1600/Piedmont-Finnish-.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are we near the "Finnish" of the North Shore ski season?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been an amazing month for skiing on the North Shore. Just when you think the big thaw is around the corner, another 5-6 inches of snow comes out of nowhere, the temps drop below zero, and the groomers carve out another perfect ski trail. The snow pack is still building up. The snow is like January, the sunshine and long days are like March. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sally and I have been out skiing every chance we get. On Saturday, we skied at <a href="http://www.duluthmn.gov/parks/piedmont_trail.cfm">Piedmont</a> here in Duluth. Sunday we drove north to <a href="http://www.blma.org/crosscountry_skiing.htm">Boulder Lake</a>. Both days we decided to ski one more lap, one more bit of trail that on any other day we would have skipped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ski season will end. Even with today's snow, the season could end next week. For now, it's <i>carpe diem</i> and take another lap. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where to go for the snow</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where is there still good skiing on the North Shore? The short answer is "everywhere." But as temps rise and the crowds thin, you'll want to head to trails that are committed to grooming. Here's where you'll find the best late-season North Shore skiing this year:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sugarbushtrail.org/">Sugarbush Trails</a> (Tofte and Lutsen area), especially the Moose Fence area up the Sawbill Trail and the Onion River Road.</span></li>
<li><a href="http://www.blma.org/crosscountry_skiing.htm"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boulder Lake</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/index.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tettegouche State Park</span></a></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.golden-eagle.com/Nordic_Ski_Center/index.php">Central Gunflint Trails</a> (<a href="http://skinnyski.com/tools/photoviewer.asp?reportId=54604">click here</a> for some great wintry photos)</span></li>
</ul>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-76749930817400600872013-03-07T17:03:00.000-06:002013-03-07T17:03:50.486-06:00Choose Korkki Nordic for your best ski of the year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclsZQgJVNqZ7-Av5nLRC2bJIqchz1TOwMbuPX2S6rCWvdVsBW2Pi3qCPnqm19l4Ceh1qNjYnyhyTFFJg0IIkXoq6-1FgrD3pCDlLDIiwnIbR9TinK9iWFwO3-xY1qt0y5fTxZC926qqg/s1600/Korkki-Sally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclsZQgJVNqZ7-Av5nLRC2bJIqchz1TOwMbuPX2S6rCWvdVsBW2Pi3qCPnqm19l4Ceh1qNjYnyhyTFFJg0IIkXoq6-1FgrD3pCDlLDIiwnIbR9TinK9iWFwO3-xY1qt0y5fTxZC926qqg/s1600/Korkki-Sally.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite all-time North Shore ski trails is Korkki Nordic, up in the ridgeline above the shore between Duluth and Two Harbors. Sally and I played hooky today and took a few laps on this terrific woodland trail. That was the first good choice of the day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Korkki is a truly classic trail. It's narrow and winding and is groomed for classic skiing only. Because so much of the trail is in deep forest, more snow is required to open it safely. Last year, the trail might have been open only two weekends. This year, it's been open for two months already and going strong. I had to get out there before the snow all melts. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yXx9jILkggzu7lp5ipHneYjv6kPLWZaHqzzN-CuwpmfQ-T7Xo2IUbsX3AdQNuzP0taKyJSMqT9_Phc7l4h2Kc2R-ZaXUVRPel0NOeafW0xRoGjQaziRx5WU_syvF55I9SYjVex9TAa4/s1600/Korkki-chalet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yXx9jILkggzu7lp5ipHneYjv6kPLWZaHqzzN-CuwpmfQ-T7Xo2IUbsX3AdQNuzP0taKyJSMqT9_Phc7l4h2Kc2R-ZaXUVRPel0NOeafW0xRoGjQaziRx5WU_syvF55I9SYjVex9TAa4/s1600/Korkki-chalet.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To reach Korkki, drive </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">north on </span>Homestead Road from the Highway 61 expressway (about halfway between Duluth and Two Harbors). After 2.5 miles, turn left on Korkki Road. About 0.5 miles later, watch for the small entrance sign on the right. You'll find ample parking around the terrific chalet. Bring a few bucks to add to the donation box at the trailhead, too. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5qTQE58M8MDYIOSZpxUedOyrTAd9R3blqavy8dD3QZxWsRS-tk9MRrtxatQY_EQKUjyItLpuD11xEegavoSeswmo1HZ_KKvmTEKtp3jaORN796dhbRFpiHJdDfy_kvoudUCCSN1N31k/s1600/Korkki-cut-off-signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5qTQE58M8MDYIOSZpxUedOyrTAd9R3blqavy8dD3QZxWsRS-tk9MRrtxatQY_EQKUjyItLpuD11xEegavoSeswmo1HZ_KKvmTEKtp3jaORN796dhbRFpiHJdDfy_kvoudUCCSN1N31k/s1600/Korkki-cut-off-signs.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The trail is one big narrow counter-clockwise 10 kilometer loop, with cut off points all along. The signage has changed a bit in the last few years...what was the "6K cut-off" is now the "5K cutoff." The trail isn't any shorter, but maybe someone got out there with a GPS.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGR1VfN0YVqYwIqD7I98TtC-dbiLdJyZmMCb45jNtS3BP7FCFcSeFpjnOmSbEFcfH9jJgGijkTYRoHcsYJ5NeocQTFLOz2i8Un4iBVPq4BkcENU88R55jIoif_qMQ8hud53QYeL8X16w/s1600/Korkki-Iso-Maki-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGR1VfN0YVqYwIqD7I98TtC-dbiLdJyZmMCb45jNtS3BP7FCFcSeFpjnOmSbEFcfH9jJgGijkTYRoHcsYJ5NeocQTFLOz2i8Un4iBVPq4BkcENU88R55jIoif_qMQ8hud53QYeL8X16w/s1600/Korkki-Iso-Maki-top.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I chose the 7.5K cutoff and climbed to the top of the Iso Maki Big Hill. Looking through the maple trees on the hilltop I could see the open blue waters of Lake Superior and the distant Wisconsin shore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I fell on my ass, before I even headed down the big scary hill. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then I got my skis pointed the right way and took on the hill itself. I flew by a sign so fast I couldn't read it...I think it said "Caution, hill ahead." Right about there, I had a small religious conversion, calling out "Jesus!" just as the trail got steeper yet and narrowed in between two large trees. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I made it all the way down without falling again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's Korkki for you: choose your path, get a thrill, and it all works out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the long run back down to the chalet, I felt like a skiing god. With just a few kicks or pole pushes, I glided through the forest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was all so much fun, we chose to do it again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-53182362375092382962013-03-04T17:04:00.001-06:002013-03-04T17:04:43.238-06:00Tour Duluth, an urban ski challenge this weekend<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD3P-u-Cbkq0clk6BqnibMS734he2xLhk6lWmZ-gduWPfN8AvvW6pq660f2AKpmGxCeSZXuvh6Bk8IkIFD4tLCbk1N0ndU8VZQmVWXweHXqPNvjkMzSpyCN19pE_kPMP22v8uKzbIHpI_/s1600/Tour-Duluth-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyD3P-u-Cbkq0clk6BqnibMS734he2xLhk6lWmZ-gduWPfN8AvvW6pq660f2AKpmGxCeSZXuvh6Bk8IkIFD4tLCbk1N0ndU8VZQmVWXweHXqPNvjkMzSpyCN19pE_kPMP22v8uKzbIHpI_/s1600/Tour-Duluth-2013.jpg" /></a></div>
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You know how in a Broadway musical, they start with an overture that includes snippets of all the great songs to come? What if they did the same thing at the end of the musical as well? An epilogue...an “outro”?...the grand finale?<br /><br />
That’s just what’s happening on Duluth’s cross country ski trails this Saturday, March 9. Thanks to <a href="http://duluthxc.com/">Duluth XC Ski Club</a> for sponsoring <a href="http://duluthxc.com/?p=5996">a great event</a>. <br /><br /><b> </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nUExn4KJnaYzubO_-EoVKZwm_h_GbzGhsKkZLaxC81rcuG1G2YBOjd2X_joXAdMIEoykYeoZtoYfXz20ojk21z4Ihs9AVeZnz-DMOOryB8DPoupTj_0WkL8VY96ooMtrzALhDPFc_Aiy/s1600/Hans-Slade-got-into-the-spirit%252C-stripping-down-to-shorts-for-the-Chester-Bowl-and-Bagley-trails.-The-temps-climbed-from-22-to-52-during-the-day..jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nUExn4KJnaYzubO_-EoVKZwm_h_GbzGhsKkZLaxC81rcuG1G2YBOjd2X_joXAdMIEoykYeoZtoYfXz20ojk21z4Ihs9AVeZnz-DMOOryB8DPoupTj_0WkL8VY96ooMtrzALhDPFc_Aiy/s1600/Hans-Slade-got-into-the-spirit%252C-stripping-down-to-shorts-for-the-Chester-Bowl-and-Bagley-trails.-The-temps-climbed-from-22-to-52-during-the-day..jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hans Slade, Tour Duluth 2012</td></tr>
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<b>It's all about Duluth</b><br />Tour Duluth is a year-end celebration of cross country skiing in Duluth. Skiers are encouraged to ski as many of Duluth’s ski trails as they can in one day. There are six trails and over sixty kilometers of trail here in town. <br /><br />I challenged myself last year to ski at least 2 km at every trail in Duluth. Toward the afternoon, temps were in the 40s and my son was skiing in shorts. and some people actually ski every last bit of trail. <b></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9uxLtwN-pXERw-Fnv4LT066SGZ71N9WRXAakqIA1oEYPDNAn3Bm89j8iHxGnglRSo7ZqgORx8JykdVo0ucM4SmNr8RMyjIAkV9sdbuyTrdyKgEotB5ArJQ-QJVn0Li9DR9Qst7bmb6Ok/s1600/Tour-Duluth-2013-Info-Sheet-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="http://duluthxc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Tour-Duluth-2013-Info-Sheet.pdf" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9uxLtwN-pXERw-Fnv4LT066SGZ71N9WRXAakqIA1oEYPDNAn3Bm89j8iHxGnglRSo7ZqgORx8JykdVo0ucM4SmNr8RMyjIAkV9sdbuyTrdyKgEotB5ArJQ-QJVn0Li9DR9Qst7bmb6Ok/s200/Tour-Duluth-2013-Info-Sheet-2.jpg" width="155" /></a><b>This year: Better, not bigger</b><br />The Tour is a bit easier this year because the ski trail at Chester Park is closed and they’ve consolidated some of the long trails at Spirit Mountain. Last year, there were eight area and about seventy kilometers of trail<br /><br />Conditions are looking really good this year, plenty of snow with more on the way. Organizers are asking that you download a <a href="http://duluthxc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Tour-Duluth-2013-Info-Sheet.pdf">kilometer tracking sheet</a>. <br /><br />
There are suggested starting times for each of the ski trails. The fun starts at 8:00 AM at the Spirit Mountain Nordic Center, off of Skyline Drive. They will have hot cocoa and refreshment there from 8-11. From there it moves to Piedmont trails, then to Snowflake Nordic (Free skiing for Tour participants), then to Lester. There will be more refreshments at Lester from 2-4. The tour ends at UMD’s Bagley and finally Hartley Nature Center.<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBiQ3c4u4T2izjr8o7Cu5r4RdiVcn9lnpJKY4McyMQEKttmmH-2axKKaluGst7i0fpNyNDSpcV77n73Ewo9wTqW8kXKZxYaSRLqo-jZIFNeHm7lfCcG5fwFT0W9hdwVT7Y0WlhZT49kWU/s1600/Hartley-dusk-XC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBiQ3c4u4T2izjr8o7Cu5r4RdiVcn9lnpJKY4McyMQEKttmmH-2axKKaluGst7i0fpNyNDSpcV77n73Ewo9wTqW8kXKZxYaSRLqo-jZIFNeHm7lfCcG5fwFT0W9hdwVT7Y0WlhZT49kWU/s1600/Hartley-dusk-XC.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late afternoon on the Hartley Park cross country ski trail</td></tr>
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The day wraps up with a big taco dinner at Hartley, 5:30-7:00. <a href="http://duluthxc.com/?p=5996">Preregistration is requested</a> for the taco dinner.<br />
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See you out on the trail!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-71241680953415589082013-02-04T21:20:00.000-06:002013-02-04T21:20:39.672-06:00It's North Shore candlelight season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKrPzCQRlMgzwIav3YHrxT29u58Qku23LdDbxt6HWhtngWV6253CfWzPPi3kGfJOA5y6RQSHfRmsZzJdv0ugQPaobzYRfU_o7zO97GkdsiRBPEpELOMNrg_8Oh8HjWQKTIbkxVPf_4xE/s400/candlelight-ski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVKrPzCQRlMgzwIav3YHrxT29u58Qku23LdDbxt6HWhtngWV6253CfWzPPi3kGfJOA5y6RQSHfRmsZzJdv0ugQPaobzYRfU_o7zO97GkdsiRBPEpELOMNrg_8Oh8HjWQKTIbkxVPf_4xE/s1600/candlelight-ski.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are in the heart of North Shore winter right now, with enough snow along the shoreline and the Sawtooth Mountains for almost any of your favorite winter activities. Some of the most popular winter events in North Shore state parks are the annual Candlelight events. Clear your calendar for the next few weekend evenings, because these magic outings in the winter woods are coming soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8630806116847639" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These are great community events. You have never seen our parks so full of life on a dark winter night.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Volunteers have worked long hours creating the luminaria, packing the<span style="font-size: small;"> trails, and lighting the lan<span style="font-size: small;">terns.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trails disappear int<span style="font-size: small;">o the dark woods marked only by candle<span style="font-size: small;">s </span>flicke<span style="font-size: small;">ring in a block of ice or in a paper bag. </span></span></span></span>The l<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ights are just close enough that you're never wholly in the dark, yet the dark s<span style="font-size: small;">urrounds you<span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></span></span>Often there's a bonfire somewhere off in the woods. Could eve<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n be s<span style="font-size: small;">'mores back there.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span>W<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hen you get back to the visitor center, you'll find hot chocolate<span style="font-size: small;"> and a <span style="font-size: small;">lot <span style="font-size: small;">of ruddy <span style="font-size: small;">faces full of smiles and woodsmoke</span>. Might even be live music. Ever dance in snowshoes?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These cand<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">light events are n</span></span>ot just for skiers, either. In fa<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ct, at Split Rock Lighthouse, it's just a snow<span style="font-size: small;">shoe and a hike</span></span></span>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>H</b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>ere's a list of North Shore </b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>candlelight events</b>:</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/calendar/app?jsp=/templates/event.jsp&id=32322">Friday, February 8 Jay Cooke State Park</a>, 6:00-9:00, ski and snowshoe.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/calendar/app?jsp=/templates/event.jsp&id=32458">Saturday, February 16, Gooseberry Falls State Park</a>, 6:00-8:30, ski snowshoe and walk.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/calendar/app?jsp=/templates/event.jsp&id=32459">Saturday, February 23 Split Rock Lighthouse State Park</a>, 6:00-8:3<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0,</span></span> snowshoe and hike.</span><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope to see you there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-86817948954433051972013-01-30T19:04:00.001-06:002013-01-30T19:04:15.993-06:00Spirit Mountain nordic trails: The same, only better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The cross country ski trails at Duluth's Spirit Mountain have been an insider's mecca, a system of well-groomed trails in lovely hardwood forest that only a few folks seemed to know about. Those that knew it, loved it. If you didn't know it, well...<br />
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Over the summer, the Spirit ski trails got a major makeover, both physically and logistically. The trails are no longer managed by the Spirit Mountain ski hill, but are cared for by a partnership between the City of Duluth and the <a href="http://duluthxc.com/">Duluth XC Ski Club (DXC</a>).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuohfJFv4exHAPJy6OBUmPVjkuEKXvLK2d3quaX3EbEKqZlHwvJ3oPfkUkLeJCuwv922qAF0WRwwLG6MirU9u2yQNzRbMHyBiWdVjDcfxrGuxQZj5EgX-7lcRWTwbzAtM1sV-Th0544dmV/s1600/Spirit-trail-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuohfJFv4exHAPJy6OBUmPVjkuEKXvLK2d3quaX3EbEKqZlHwvJ3oPfkUkLeJCuwv922qAF0WRwwLG6MirU9u2yQNzRbMHyBiWdVjDcfxrGuxQZj5EgX-7lcRWTwbzAtM1sV-Th0544dmV/s1600/Spirit-trail-map.jpg" /></a></div>
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DXC volunteers took a hard look at the trail system and came up with some significant improvements to the trail layout. What had been a set of nested ski loops, ranging from a 1 kilometer easy trail to an 11 kilometer gut-buster, is now a well-thought out network of trails for all skiers. New signs mark every intersection. DXC volunteers were out this fall clearing out the brush and filling in rough spots. The trail feels well-loved now, after many years of benign neglect. <br />
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<b>My old fave, changed</b><br />
In the old Spirit trail system, my personal favorite was the Pete Fosseide 5K trail, named after the guy who won the 153-mile ski race from Duluth to St. Paul in 1938. It was a perfect five-kilometer intermediate loop, running counter-clockwise through the oaks and maples. About two-thirds of that trail is still in place. However, about three kilometers in, the old "5K" disappears into a small maze of redirected trails. No problem, I found a way to stay on the basic loop using a short section of the advanced 11K. <br />
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In the new map and signage, I went from Intersection E to Intersection I. E to I. Or, as I yelled going down the first steep and scary hill in the gloaming dusk, "E-I-I-I!!!"<br />
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<b>If you go</b><br />
The Spirit Mountain Nordic Center is right off Skyline Drive. From Exit 249 of Interstate 35, head toward the Spirit Mountain downhill area but stay on Skyline Drive. It's about one mile to the entrance to the Nordic Center on the right.<br />
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The trail is open daylight hours every day. The nordic chalet is open 3:30-5:30 weekdays and 9:00-4:30 weekends. Plan to come up to Spirit on <a href="http://duluthcrosscountryskiclub.wildapricot.org/registration?eventId=620010&EventViewMode=EventDetails">Saturday, February 9 for Winter Trails Day</a>, with free rentals and free lessons co-sponsored by DXC and local ski shops. <br />
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Due to a quirk in time and management, the Spirit Mountain trails this year are free to anyone to ski. You are of course encouraged to buy a Great Minnesota Ski Pass and/or join the DXC.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004655649462719183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-66795317167448643642013-01-21T16:11:00.000-06:002013-01-21T16:11:14.379-06:00A N'ice time on the North Shore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTusC7reCknSqAD2WXyp49RSz9po2oScGvbbJtqXjka4nQYlAghvXAUc6dhEMYO2xXJS7fz6RnLOx6eEQa7trxi6xLzozgnbvRjgHFzsjdKelg1-hDZyJW3ncP8xyR9oYhVC5-lnlD8I0/s1600/Ice-fog-sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTusC7reCknSqAD2WXyp49RSz9po2oScGvbbJtqXjka4nQYlAghvXAUc6dhEMYO2xXJS7fz6RnLOx6eEQa7trxi6xLzozgnbvRjgHFzsjdKelg1-hDZyJW3ncP8xyR9oYhVC5-lnlD8I0/s1600/Ice-fog-sunrise.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recent cold temps on the North Shore have brought back one of my absolute favorite parts of living along this freshwater sea: jagged colors of ice and thick wafting clouds of sea smoke. Turns out that even though it was 14 below on the Park Point beach this morning, I could still use my little digital camera to take a few pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climate change has meant that Lake Superior water is warmer than ever. Even with temps at double digits below zero in mid-January, the lake water resists that final nudge to ice. The lake water, about to finally freeze, moves slowly, thickly, but still it would rather evaporate into heavy clouds than turn solid. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a cold snap</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not the only one out shooting shoreline photos in the cold. Grand Marais photographer and kayak guide Bryan Hansel has been busy..and cold...this winter. If you're on Facebook, I highly recommend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bryan.Hansel.Photography">"liking" Bryan's photography</a>. You'll get nearly daily photos from the North Shore, including a lot of great shoreline ice photos in the last month or so. Bryan is also teaching <a href="http://www.bryanhansel.com/lake-superior-winter-photography-workshop/">a course in Lake Superior winter photography</a>. This year's course is full, but with enough names on the waiting list he might run another session. Travis Novitsky of Grand Portage is getting some great shoreline shots as well; do check out his "waterfall" photo for <a href="http://www.travisnovitsky.com/Featured-Images/Newest-Work/3526781_qjV6rh#!i=2321893830&k=3WHpm3L">a Lake Superior scene you've never seen before</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Explore on your own</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Come on down to the lakeshore almost anywhere now and you'll find dramatic, one-of-a-kind ice formations. Park Point is easy to get to; just go across Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge and drive five more blocks to the beach access parking lot at the "S-curve" of Franklin Park. Up the shore, check out Two Harbors' Lighthouse Point, the beach at Gooseberry Falls State Park, or Artist's Point in Grand Marais. <b> </b></span>Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-52489311493407523542013-01-07T19:42:00.001-06:002013-01-07T19:42:51.467-06:00Duluth cross country ski trails: 2013 winter update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you think of skiing and precipitation, most people think about snow. But it's been rain that has affected our trails the most. The great Duluth flood of June 2012 has impacted cross country skiing in Duluth at least as much as this winter's snow. Here is your guide to Duluth's city ski trails in this post-flood winter, working from west to east.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Magney Ski Trail</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the far western end of Duluth is a large and wild 13 kilometers of ski trails that wind through the old-growth forests of a city scientific and natural area. Sadly, the June floods wiped out the stone bridge where Skyline Drive crosses over Stewart Creek, so there is no direct access to the Magney trailhead this year. Some very hearty skiers are skiing all the way into the Magney trails via the Spirit Mountain nordic ski trails, but that adds at least four kilometers just to get there. While the Duluth city groomers are maintaining the Magney trail, it's really open only for the most committed skiers. Read <a href="http://skinnyski.com/trails/traildetail.asp?Id=402">recent reports from SkinnySki.com here</a>.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piedmont Trail</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perched above West Duluth along the city's scenic ridgeline is this family-friendly 6 kilometers of trail, mostly double-tracked and well-suited for advanced beginner skiers. The flood did not affect the Piedmont trail long-term at all (a few small bridges were replaced this fall). Skiing has been decent so far this winter, with just enough snow for skiers to make their own tracks. Bonus for this year: thanks to the extra funding provided by Duluth's new parks fund, there's a porta-potty in the parking lot. Read <a href="http://skinnyski.com/trails/traildetail.asp?Id=403">recent reports from SkinnySki.com here</a>. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chester Bowl</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrapped around Duluth's urban family downhill ski run is a 3 kilometer advanced loop. Sadly, the June floods wiped out a critical bridge on the loop as well as parts of the trail. The city will groom a small loop in the open field area near the trailhead, but the Chester trails are closed for the winter. Read <a href="http://skinnyski.com/trails/traildetail.asp?Id=404">recent reports from SkinnySki.com here</a>. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hartley Field</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tucked into the middle of eastern Duluth is the 660-acre wild area known as Hartley Field, with a nested set of ski loops totaling 5 kilometers. While these trails have not been groomed this year, skiers are still enjoying them. There was no damage from the floods, so really nothing is changed here...yet. Ski planners are considering a major reroute of the trail system. Red <a href="http://skinnyski.com/trails/traildetail.asp?Id=381">recent reports from SkinnySki.com here</a>. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lester Park</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the city's eastern edge is this giant system with 18 kilometers of trails for all ages and abilities, including the city's only trails that are lit at night. The trail itself sustained moderate damage from the June floods, but those have all been fixed. The major impact of the flood is the closure of Seven Bridges Road, the most common access to the Lester system. If you drive up Seven Bridges Road (a.k.a. Occidental Boulevard) from Superior Street, you'll find the road completely closed just past the first of the seven bridges. As at Piedmont, there's a bonus porta-potty here for your comfort. From this new parking area, it's a short walk up a seldom-used snowmobile trail to the trails. Most skiers will start at Point A on the system now. The snow is shallower on the lower parts of the trail and gets deeper the further you ski up the hill and away from Lake Superior. Read <a href="http://skinnyski.com/trails/traildetail.asp?Id=39">recent reports from SkinnySki.com here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember, you can call the city's grooming hotline at (218) 730-4321 for current conditions. </span>Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3980287283876875680.post-27381494658749915312012-12-06T16:54:00.001-06:002012-12-06T16:54:51.634-06:00Reading Rainbow on the power of books<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our kids grew up watching a lot of PBS shows. One of our favorites as parents was <i>Reading Rainbow</i>. If you ever watched the show, check out this autotune version of Levar Burton "singing" the praises of books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While Levar wasn't talking (or, um, singing) specifically about trail guides, this video captures so much of what There and Back Books is all about. As much fun as our blogs and <a href="https://twitter.com/BestNorthShore">my Twitter feed are</a>, the core of our business is still books, actual physical books, like <a href="http://www.thereandbackbooks.com/skiing-the-north-shore.php">Skiing the North Shore</a>. As Levar sings in this video, "A book lets you zoom through time and space. Whether you head north, south, east, or west, a book can be your passport." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Levar also has a big nod to maps, saying, "I love maps. Each one tells me something different about the world." I've really enjoyed working on the maps of our books, reliving my adventures in the wild with a few curvy lines on the page. Our maps really set our books apart from most other trail guides. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't take my word for it</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At some point in almost every show, Levar would start a new section by saying, "You don't have to take my word for it." Check out our books for yourselves. They're in a lot of libraries, but I'm hoping you'd like a copy to keep in your backpack or car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We'd love to help out your Christmas giving with one or more of our books. Here are some of the independent retailers that sell a lot of our books:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.midwestmtn.com/">Midwest Mountaineering, Minneapolis</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.fitgersbookstore.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Bookstore at Fitgers, Duluth</span></a><br />
<a href="http://trailfittersduluth.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TrailFitters, Duluth</span></a><br />
<a href="http://duluthpack.com/duluth-pack-canal-park-store"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Duluth Pack Store, Canal Park, Duluth</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lstp.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lake Superior Trading Post, Grand Marais</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One of the best inventions ever," Levar says, "is the book." One of the best Christmas presents too. </span>Andrew Sladehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00685074107588955263noreply@blogger.com0