Artists recently completed another display of incredible snow sculptures in Whiteside Park in Ely. The Snow Sculpting Symposium is part of the Ely Winter Festival. This snow sculpture is “They Called the Wind Mariah,” by Sherry Rovig, Nick Lee, and Dianne Goodwin. Three days of warm weather and drizzle after the carving means that photos…
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Guest Blogger: The following photos and text are by Wilderness Guide LynnAnne Vesper. Jason is guiding a dogsled camping trip this week. I was so cold last night! I just couldn’t warm up in my sleeping bag. I thought, ‘How am I going to survive this trip if I am such a weenie?’ Around the…
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I just returned from a North Pole Shakedown. Adventurous people who want to ski and dogsled to the geographic North Pole journey to Ely for Shakedown dogsled camping trips. Participants learn dogsledding, winter camping, and skiing skills needed to successfully reach the Pole. This is their opportunity to determine if they have what it takes…
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Thanks to some generous Elyites, I now have an Alaskan sourdough pancake starter with a hundred year history. But, how do the pancakes taste? I felt somewhat nervous after seeing the science experiment-type bubbles in the batter the first morning. However, the dogsledders loved them. It’s a good sign when the dogsled participants are demanding…
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Everyone knows the social event of the Ely winter is the annual Mukluk Ball! Kate and I donned our mukluks last night and joined some friends to tear up the dance floor. Hundreds of people danced to the tunes of the Lamont Cranston band. If you ever wanted to be a part of small town…
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The sourdough starter story continues. After graduating from Ely High School, David attended MIT, graduating with a degree in engineering. His long-time friend, Sig Olson, Jr., insisted David and his wife visit him in Alaska. [Sig Jr.’s father is my favorite author and probably the person most responsible for creating the BWCA.] So, during the…
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My sourdough starter story begins at Ely’s local radio station – WELY. When you live in Ely and you’re looking to find something or get rid of something, you call the radio station. Trader Craig is our local peddler supreme. Just give him a call at WELY, and he’ll broadcast your wishes on the Trader…
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The Photo Workshop dogsledding trip has wrapped up. We are lucky to have professional photographer Layne Kennedy leading these trips. He is a wonderfully dynamic and talented photographer and teacher. The group learned a lot from Layne. One of Layne’s main ideas for better photos is to ask yourself, “What am I trying to say…
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There are many reasons why I return to guiding dog sledding trips at Wintergreen Lodge. One of the main reasons is that the dogs love to pull. If the dogs exuded some sort of complacency or indifference to pulling, or even if it seemed like pulling a sled burdened them in some sort of a…
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One of the fun experiments the photo workshop participants have done is try night sky shots. Last night Tom Sheley, of Columbus Ohio, captured this image. All the stars appear to be rotating around the North Star. I really like how the stars have color in this photo. No one has altered the picture with…
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