Blueberries are Ripening in the Boundary Waters
I fixed my first batch of pancakes with fresh blueberries while camped on Crooked Lake in the BWCAW this week. Delicious taste of the North Woods!
Kids and Watercolor in the Boundary Waters
Josie (age 10, from Wisconsin), painted these pictures while on a BWCA canoe trip this week with her younger brother and parents. Her savvy mom packed along a backpacking style watercolor kit for her kids. Sure enough, they found plenty of subjects to paint. The above Bald Eagle perched contently at the top of a…
Dragonflies Emerging From Fourtown Lake in the BWCAW
One of the great things about late spring and early summer in the Boundary Waters is the overwhelming sign of new life. It seems everywhere you look there are birds on nests or with young in tow, flowers cover the forest floor, and insects such as these dragonflies are emerging to a new life of…
Turtles are Venturing into BWCA Campsites to Lay Eggs Now
We found this snapping turtle in a BWCAW campsite on the Kawishiwi River recently. The snapping turtles and painted turtles are venturing onto land right now to dig holes and lay their eggs. We were surprised to see that this turtle had selected the area immediately adjacent to the campfire grate for its place to…
Father and Son Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
I spent a week in the BWCAW with Gary and his 18-year-old son, Blake, this month. As a young Boy Scout in 1970, Gary traveled the Boundary Waters. His youthful canoe trip experience really left a life-long impression on him. He wanted his son to have a similar opportunity to explore the wilderness as a…
“Northern Exposure” in Real Life: Moose in Ely
Many might remember television’s Northern Exposure, with its wandering moose in the opening credits. Ely has its own moose, seen earlier this week walking the streets of downtown. The yellowish sign in the background with the arched lettering is Britton’s Cafe on Chapman Street in downtown. Photo by Amy Kireta.
“Paddle North: Canoeing the Boundary Waters-Quetico Wilderness” Wins Top Honors
Congratulations to photographer Layne Kennedy and author Greg Breining. Their new book on our beautiful region received top honors in the General Nonfiction category at the NE Minnesota Book Awards last night. We are exceptionally pleased to sponsor a Boundary Waters Photo Workshop with photographer Layne Kennedy on August 16-21, 2011. Space is still available. …
What lure caught lake trout in the Boundary Waters this week?
We sell only guide-recommended fishing tackle, such as this Dardevle Five of Diamonds shown above, at Ely Outfitting Company in Ely, MN. The lakers were hanging out in the transition from deeper water to about 17 feet deep.
Early Season Solo Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
I enjoyed a five-day early May solo canoe trip this past week. The temperatures stayed pleasantly warm, even hot during the middle of the days (especially with my wool pants!). The Little Indian Sioux River flowed calmly north. After a few portages through Pawness Lakes, Shell and Little Shell, I enjoyed dinner on Lynx Lake,…
Pussy Willows Welcome Spring Near Ely, MN
Before the snow has fully dissipated in the wetlands, a furry white harbinger of spring appears on the willow trees. The snow-white and silver-gray pussy willows have emerged around Ely. The flowering catkins are said to have received their name from their resemblance to tiny furry pussy-cats. I photographed these pussy willows near Ely this…