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Steve Abrahamson, far right, with his daughter Nova, her husband John and a friend pose during their recent visit to Antartica.
Summer in Antarctica
REGIONAL- Steve Abrahamson, of Tower, is an avid traveler, but with help and a little prodding from his even more adventurous daughter and son-in-law, he recently completed a bucket list trip to … more
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A view across an area of open stunted spruce in the Lost Lake Swamp.
Big sky country
Of all the landscapes found in Minnesota, the roughly one million acres of stunted spruce forest found across the state’s vast peatlands would probably be seen by most people as the most … more
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Could deer eventually pass chronic wasting disease onto humans? It’s a question now being explored.
U of M group prepping for CWD spillover
REGIONAL- Chronic wasting disease is a known fatal neurological disease of deer and other cervids such as elk, caribou, and moose—but are humans at risk of contracting the disease as well? … more
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BWAC prepares for upcoming trail maintenance season
ELY—More than fifteen Boundary Waters enthusiasts recently attended a “Crew Leader Training” retreat at Camp Widjiwagan on Burntside Lake to highlight safety and best leadership … more
Warmest winter ever? It’s looking more and more likely
REGIONAL— The North Country is on track to set a new mark for the warmest winter in the historical record. While the books weren’t quite closed on January when the Timberjay went to press … more
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Andy Weinzierl, of Duluth, pedals his way through the Lost Lake Swamp along the final two miles of the Arrowhead 135 course
Warmth creates its own challenges for racers
REGIONAL— Frostbite. Frozen water bottles. Those are typically the biggest challenges that participants in the Arrowhead 135 ultramarathon face along the winding course between International … more
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Canoeists fish a shoreline on Slim Lake north of Ely last fall. The BWCAW is home to more than 1,000 lakes.
Reservations now open for BWCAW
REGIONAL— Careful planning is key to a successful visit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area this summer, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Reservations for entry permits to the 1.1 … more
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Fish and Wildlife report suggests improper use of federal wildlife funds
REGIONAL— A recently released report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or FWS, provides stunning conclusions on what appears to be a wholesale violation of a federal grant program by the … more
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A male white-winged crossbill perches on a black spruce. Crossbills, which are typically uncommon at feeders, have been showing up for sunflower seeds in recent weeks.
Area bird counts reflect the impact of mild weather
REGIONAL— Plenty of hawks and crows and very few woodpeckers or grosbeaks. Those were among the more consistent findings from the more than 100 area residents who took part in Christmas Bird … more
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An aerial view of ice ridges at Voyageurs National Park on Jan. 10.
Voyageurs National Park prepping snowmobile trail
REGIONAL- The staff at Voyageurs National Park has been chomping at the bit to get to work on the park’s winter snowmobile trails and ice roads, and now with a bit more cooperative weather a … more
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DNR offering help to private forestland owners
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is inviting private woodland owners with two or more acres of forested property to participate in a new effort to help improve forest inventory across … more
Decaying ice on the north arm of Trout Lake in the BWCAW on Dec. 27. While this shallow bay of the lake was frozen, other parts of the big lake remained open as of New Year’s
December was a month for the record books
REGIONAL— December of 2023 proved to be one for the meteorological record books. The jaw-dropping Christmas to New Year’s warm spell capped a month that was already running much warmer … more
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Clair Helmberger, Jodi Summit, and Victoria Ranua (partially obscured) made their way recently along the Norway Trail on the edge of a then-snowless BWCAW.
Winter green
Late December in the Boundary Waters is supposed to be a season laden in white. But in an unprecedented year it was the deep greens that stood out during a hike along the Norway Trail, north of Trout … more
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A group of hikers, not all pictured, got ready to hike the lighted ski trail loop earlier this month.
Club helps keep community active and outdoors
TOWER- While the lack of snow meant no group snowshoeing or cross-county ski outings through early January, members of the Vermilion Area Activity Club just continued hiking, some weekends on … more
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Free entry to Minnesota state parks on Monday
REGIONAL— In their continuing effort to encourage Minnesotans to get outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on … more
Checking the ice on the Hunting Shack River, northeast of Buyck earlier this month. The brief cold snap just after Thanksgiving allowed for several inches of ice to form on many small lakes and rivers.For wilderness adventures on ice, be sure to go prepared. The backpack pictured here contains food, water, matches and other survival gear, as well as a complete change of clothes in a dry sack.
Adventures on ice
There are several ways to travel in the North Country wilderness in winter, but none is so fleeting or so rare as on skates. It takes that unusual alignment of November weather to allow for wild … more
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Just a skiff of snow remains on top of the ice on the West Two River this week. The area has seen a remarkably warm and dry December so far this year.
Mild December unusual but not unprecedented
REGIONAL— The extraordinarily mild weather so far this month is uncommon, but not unprecedented, according to state climatologist Pete Boulay. It was back in December of 1998, coming off one of … more
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Keeping skiers motivated in a snowless winter
ELY— Motivating athletes in practice is always a challenge for a coach. But motivating Nordic skiers in the North Country’s thus-far nearly snowless winter to date is providing an even … more
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New law has fines for trash on the ice
REGIONAL— With sufficient ice on many North Country lakes, anglers are starting to move their fish houses out to their favorite honey holes. But they’ll want to be aware of a new law that … more
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The 2023-24 finch forecast cited large numbers of purple finches moving through NE Minnesota this fall. Will any show up at feeders in the North Country this winter or will they stay to our south?
Plenty of uncertainty about feeder birds this winter
REGIONAL— With the winter bird-feeding season now underway with most folks—even as winter seems to be taking a break— there is considerable uncertainty about just what birds might … more
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DNR faces critical shortage of black spruce cones
REGIONAL—If you’re looking to make some extra cash this winter, consider gathering black spruce cones for the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR’s state forest nursery is … more
A study wolf in Voyageurs National Park.
How wolves affect forests
VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK— A new study just published by the Voyageurs Wolf Project has provided data to confirm the idea that predators, like wolves, can shape the ecosystems in which they live … more
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Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson smiles big as he poses with the eight-point buck he shot Nov. 13 using his late grandpa’s rifle.
Soudan youth bags buck in honor of his grandpa
SOUDAN— Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson had a feeling two weeks ago as the deer season wound down. He had hunted deer before with his grandfather, Frank Gornick, of Soudan, but Frank had died … more
Fresh ice on the East Two River in Tower looks inviting for a skate, but be sure to test any ice before venturing out and wear a life vest as well.
Be extra cautious on early season ice this year
REGIONAL— The recent colder weather has put ice on many area lakes and ponds, but folks should keep in mind that the ice may still be too thin to support most activities on the ice, such as ice … more
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Dave Lislegard
Lislegard pushing for wolf hunt
REGIONAL— State Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, is advocating for a managed wolf hunt in Minnesota as soon as federal protections are lifted on the once-threatened predator. The gray wolf was … more
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