About Women of Wilderness

Our purpose is to promote outdoor and athletic activities by women. By designating a specific night, we provide a supportive environment where women can shop and learn at their leisure and indulge in a little “me time” with refreshments and promotions. We hope to encourage women to take charge of their health thru physical activity whether its yoga, walking, hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing or something else altogether.

David Nelson, winner of the 1st Annual Ice Out Prediction Contest. The photo is David signing his retirement papers, after 36.5 years as a juvenile probation officer.

Congratulations to David Nelson, winner of the first annual Ice Out Prediction Contest co-sponsored by Trail Center and Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply.

We had a tie for ice out on Poplar Lake on May 17th. The tie was broken with a drawing we held at Stone Harbor on Monday.

Beth and Scott picked David’s name among all of the smart people who picked May 17th for ice out on Poplar Lake

David receives a guided fly fishing tour from Stone Harbor and a 2 night lakeside stay from Trail Center. Thanks to everyone who participated and stay tuned for next year.

Yesterday’s (May 19th) Star Tribune has a section on The Best of Minnesota. It is really nice to see that a few of the Grand Marais attractions made the cut.

First there is the North House Folk School for the Best Way to Sail Lake Superior (without your own boat). The school owns the Hjordis, a 50 foot schooner that goes out a couple of times a day with a full boat, so to speak. They sail out of the harbor and depending on conditions they come around Artist’s Point and into the East Bay. It is impressive to look out the office window and see them just off shore. I think all of us who live here enjoy taking the trip with friends and family when they visit.

Next is the Best State Park category. I am going to cheat a little on this one, since it is Gooseberry Falls State Park and anyone who knows geography knows that it is not near Grand Marais. You are correct about that, but to get here from the south and west, you can’t miss it and it is worth the stop to stretch your legs. The Star Tribune states that it is among the most beautiful parks in North America and I will not dispute that. What i will say is that when you get up the rest of the way, there are quite a few more parks that are as beautiful. You just have to hike a little to take in the full experience.

The Best Hiking Trail category lists Eagle Mountain as the best the area has to offer. It is the highest point in Minnesota at 2,301 feet. It is a full day’s hike but well worth it when you get to the top. The panoramic view is spectacular! We can assist you in finding other gorgeous hikes, like the Devil’s Kettle, Cascade River State Park, Mount Josephine, or for a little longer hike, the Caribou Rock Trail. Shorter hikes with panoramic view like Oberg Mountain are also easily accessible for those not wanting to walk the seven mile round trip.

Lastly is Best Outstate Restaurant Worth the Drive and once again the Angry Trout comes out on top. Not only is this a favorite among visitors, but locals flock to it for a night out. The food is fresh and very good. But we pride ourselves with our great selection of great places to get a meal. You can’t go wrong at any local establishment. The Angry Trout is just up there at the top with quite a few others nipping at their heels.

The New York Times has also taken notice of another of our local attractions. When you walk out of The Angry Trout, look next door and you see the Dockside Fish Market. This is a great place to pick up smoked fish to take back to your hotel or take home with you. Or, if you are still looking for that fish fix, stop in and have their famous Fish and Chips for lunch. The locals always take a look to see what fresh fish are available. Somedays there may be a wait but you will find it is worth it.

Now, what do you think? Did the Strib get it right with its awards? Is the Times on the mark? Did they miss your local favorite? Tell us what you think in the comments below. Or better yet, come on in and chat with us. We can tell you about our personal favorites in the area, including some of the best outdoor attractions that only the locals know.

Most of all, get your summer trip planned. We can assist you in many ways–just give us a call.

Ice picture by George Hodan

We received this note from Nichole Borson of the Tofte Ranger District. We will continue to post more ice out information as we get it.

Good Morning Everyone-

Hopefully you are enjoying this weather and it is taking all the ice away in a quick hurry. I just wanted to let you all know the information about ice conditions have been slow in coming. Hopefully with the last few days of wind and warmth things are progressing quickly. I  spoke with the hanger today and they are not planning on coming over this far east today and I’m not allowed to request flight. We did give dispatch a list of lakes to check on so IF there is an East Zone detection flight I will let you know when I hear. I have been keeping my ear open to the radio.

Most of the information has been word of mouth so if you have anything thing to share let us know. We have also been checking the different blogs, to see what you folks are posting, and as I was typing this email I received more information from Patty Johnson.

This is what I know for now:

• Sag corridor is open up to Clarks Island
• Sawbill is open
• Kawishiwi open
• Polly is open
• Pheobe  is open
• Round Lake is open
• I’m guessing Gull Lake is open.
• I heard Iron Lake is open
• Hungry Jack is mostly open
• Most small, round lake are open.
• Most long, skinny lakes in an east/west orientation (i.e. those in the Vento Unit) are not open.
• Dumbell – frozen
• Silver Island – open
• Caribou – 50% open
• Pike – open
• Devil Track – frozen
• Trout/Elbow – open
• Greenwood – frozen
• Tom – frozen
• Swamp – frozen
• Pine – frozen
• Brule – frozen
• Long Island – open
• Tuscarora/Little Sag/Gillis/Gabby – frozen
• Seagull – 40%
• East Bearskin is open as far as you can see from the landing
• As of Tuesday a group went to Ham to Cross Bay and they had to break a thin sheet of ice.

I have been trying to drive around to get my own personal information about the camping and fishing opportunities outside of the BWCAW and things are progressing nicely.

Nichole didn’t mention Poplar Lake but as of right now, there is still ice on it. We’ll let you know when that changes.

The Kadunce River from the bridge on Highway 61

Devil Track’s water is starting to clear up

The weather really warmed up yesterday and now we wait for the ice to go out on the lakes. That should be this weekend. Right now the Kadunce and Devil Track water levels are lowering and the water is clearing. The water temps need to warm just a little more, but we should be coming into the height of the steelhead fishing over the next week or so.

On the other side of the coin, if you look at the Devil Track pictures, you can see what a beautiful day it is today. The skies are clear for now and the weather is perfect. What a great day to go for a hike if the fish aren’t biting.

You can help a high school student experience the
Minnesota River with Wild River Academy

Those who know me know that I am from the New Ulm area. This is a beautiful town in a valley formed by the Minnesota River. I spent many hours fishing, hiking canoeing and camping on the Minnesota River and it’s tributaries. We all knew as youngsters just how polluted and abused the river was, and in some cases still is.

Two years ago, Stone Harbor was a major sponsor when Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho made their historic canoe trip from Fort Snelling to Hudson Bay. The early part of that trip was on the Minnesota River. Natalie and Ann saw that the river is beginning to get cleaned up but it has a long way to go.

Natalie has returned to the river with her Wild River Academy. With this program, she is introducing young people to canoeing, camping and to the cause of making the river an attraction for bicyclists, hikers, canoeists and campers. Most importantly, Wild River Academy is making more people aware of this river, with dreams of returning it to a pristine state. For those of us from the Minnesota River Valley, it is way overdue.

Wild River Academy has partnered with River’s Edge Academy, an Outward Bound high school in St. Paul. They are taking 16 of their students on a seven-day canoe expedition down the Minnesota River, stopping along the route to interact with environmental organizations, community members, Dakota people, farmers and State Park Rangers. The program is being provided free of cost so that students from all financial backgrounds can participate in this invaluable outdoor experience. The trip is being paid entirely through fundraising efforts. If you would like to make a donation for this Wild River Academy trip, go to http://givemn.razoo.com/story/River-S-Edge-Academy-River-Trip.

Elbow lake is just a short distance out of Grand Marais and there is still snow on the road. With all this snow and ice, there is no dock at the public landing yet.

Iron Lake is a little further up the Gunflint Trail–maybe 18 or 19 miles north of Grand Marais.
It still has plenty of ice as well.

The snow is finally receding on the Gunflint Trail (although the lakes still have plenty of ice). When Scott came in the morning, he said he thought that due to the cooler weather, the rivers are not as high and are clearing up. As I drove up the Gunflint Trail, I noticed that the flow of Devil Track River as it crosses the Gunflint looked swift but not raging. However, after an hour up the trail, I noticed much more urgency on the part of the Devil Track. That means the remaining snow is melting today and the flow is stronger. Steelhead may be a little tough this weekend.

Looks like you still have time to submit a guess in our First Annual Ice Out Prediction Contest. Of course, even if the fishing isn’t up to par yet, a day on the Gunflint Trail still beats a day just about anywhere else. And you can always spend Mother’s Day at the annual Naniboujou Mother’s Day Brunch – that’s where you’ll find all the locals come Sunday.

Poplar Lake is about 28 miles up the Gunflint Trail. It still plenty of ice, so I guess the Ice Out Prediction Contest will be going on for a bit yet.

Sarah over the Trail Center sent me this picture of Poplar Lake. There may be plenty of snow,
but it sure is pretty, isn’t it?

Iron Lake still has plenty of ice

This is Minnesota fishing opener weekend and it is also the weekend that many take their first foray into the BWCA. This year is going to be different since there is still a lot of snow and ice on the Gunflint Trail. The shore lines are starting to see some progress, but it may be a bit yet before we can really get out on the lakes. While the lakes may not be ready for fishing yet, people are hitting the rivers and streams, looking for those elusive steelhead.

If you are a hardy soul and are going to go canoeing in the next couple of weeks, there are some precautions you should think about. First and foremost, please wear your life jacket. The lakes are very cold and it is going to take some really warm weather before they are safe. Of course you should wear life jackets at all times anyway, but many do not. This time of the year it is imperative because if you do tip, you have very little time to get to safety. The last thing you want to do is spend the first five minutes in the water looking for and putting on your PFD; the time is better spent assessing the situation and taking care of your paddling companions.

If you own a Hydroskin type jacket, which is basically a wet suit top, it is also a good idea to have this on.

Most importantly, if a tip occurs, get out of the water as soon as possible. You should be paddling close to shore, so hopefully you can quickly get out of the water and get dry. This is not a time to try to paddle across the middle of Sag.

The BWCA is a wilderness and should be treated as such. Do not be complacent because you have been there many times. Safety first. We like our visitors and we want you to be coming to see us for many years to come. It is very sad to hear about someone who will not come back due to a tragic accident.