2012: A Peak Year For Northern Lights

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Experience nature’s 2012 spectacular!
Nasa predicts brightest northern lights display for 50 years

It is nature’s most mesmerizing lights show and it’s about to get a whole lot better.

The solar cycle takes an average of around 11 years to go from one solar maximum to the next – varying between 9 to 14 years for any given solar cycle.  The last Solar Maximum was in 2000 and NASA scientists have predicted that the next one in 2012 will be the greatest since 1958, where the aurora stunned the people of Mexico by making an appearance on three occasions.

Scientists have stated that this year the “Northern” lights should at least be visible as far south as Rome.

This summer, if you catch the moment the Sun is spewing out solar storms directly at the earth, you will be truly awestruck.  It will be like nothing you’ve ever seen before.  The brightness of the aurora depends on the activity of the sun, which bombards the Earth’s with charged particles known as the solar wind.

Experts predict the northern lights will shine at the brightest levels seen for 50 years in 2012.  Since 2007 the aurora borealis has been growing in intensity and will peak during this year and next, according to NASA scientists.

About the Pagami Creek Fire

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You may have heard about the forest fire near Ely, Minnesota in the BWCA last fall, the Pagami Creek Fire.  The Forest Service initially opted to let the fire burn naturally, since the forest does need to burn once in a while, but then the fire grew a bit faster than anticipated and lasted for quite a few weeks.  However, the fire was contained and the burned area is only a small portion of the BWCA, as you can see on the map below.

Also included are some interesting shots of the fire, of us visiting the fire site with the Forest Service, and a shot of the fire from outer space, as sent by our friend, Mike Fossum, Commander of the International Space Station.  Click each image for an enlargement and details.

 

The 50-Miler Afloat Award

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PortageThe BSA 50-Miler Award is presented to each qualifying individual by his/her home Scout unit for satisfactory participation in an approved trip.

But just what is involved with earning this award? The second BSA requirement is: Cover the canoe route of not less than 50 consecutive miles; take a minimum of five consecutive days to complete the trip without the aid of motors. Hard to do in a raft on the Colorado or Snake Rivers? No. Hard to do in the Boundary Waters? For most 14 year olds, yes!

We often hear how a Scout troop covered 10 miles per day on the “Down Stream” River. The current on the “Down Stream” may have been 1 MPH. Had the canoeists never put a paddle in the water, they would have covered that distance in a 10 hour day.

In the Boundary Waters, however, there is no current on our wilderness lakes, and very little on most of the connecting rivers. In addition, we have portages between lakes. Our portages are usually less than a quarter mile. Most groups spend about 15 minutes on every portage getting out, pulling their gear, then replacing the gear in the canoe at the other end, and getting back in. Oh yeah … we also have to add in the time it takes to walk the portage itself. Doing three to six portages on a travel day is about average.

We also have the usual camp chores of taking down camp in the morning, cooking and eating breakfast, having lunch on the canoe trails, setting up camp in the afternoon, and fixing dinner. We figure in about three hours for these activities.

Want to do a little fishing, or swimming, or moose and eagle watching? Add in some more time.

Are we saying “Don’t try for the 50-Miler”? Not at all; it is a great goal … if the group members understand what’s involved. Our recommendation is for older youth members that want to aim for it shold try it over at least six days. Younger members should know that there won’t be a lot of time for fishing, and plan on taking a seven-day trip. If they want to “do it all,” stretch the trip out like they do at Philmont Scout Ranch …. do it on a full 10-day trek.

This award is in the form of an embroidered or leather patch. In order to qualify for the award, the group of which the individual is a member must fulfill all of the following requirements:

  1. Make complete and satisfactory plans for the trip, including the possibilities of advancement.
  2. Cover the canoe route of not less than 50 consecutive miles; take a minimum of five consecutive days to complete the trip without the aid of motors.
  3. During the time on the trail or waterway, complete a minimum of 10 hours each of group work on projects to improve the campsite, or portage. In some instances, after checking the US Forest Service, it may not be possible to complete 10 hours each of group work on the trail. A similar project may be done in the unit’s home area. (There will never be any unauthorized cutting of brush or timber.)
  4. The Unit or trek leader must then file a 50-Miler Award application with the local council service center. This application gives additional details about planning the trip.

For more information on Scouting canoe trips in the boundary waters, click here.

Spring Fishing For Northern Pike in Ely, Minnesota, BWCA

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The Water Wolf

Northern pike are a very popular game fish, have been for many years. There was a time, however, when these fun fish were relegated to fishing trips with children because they are easy to catch. Now every angler, youngest or oldest, knows that fishing for Northern Pike is a fun pastime, and a good clean sport.

Just knowing where to look at different times of the year, and paying attention to what the climate has been like for the last few weeks before your fishing expedition is an excellent idea. A good outfitter should be able to steer you towards the fish, and help you with lures to bring in trophy pike, as well as smaller ones better suited for dinner. There’s nothing like a good fish dinner after a long day’s “water hunting”.

Catching Spring Northerns

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a 15-20lb Northern pike with razor sharp teeth on the end of your line. Believe me it’s a blast! And the last two weeks of May and the first week of June is the time to target for the best result. Spring Pike fishing in the Boundary Waters and Quetico Park is exciting! Once the northern have completed spawning the large female pike can be spotted cruising the shallows looking for an easy meal.

During this time of year male smallmouth bass that are defending their beds are an easy, full-course meal for an average size northern pike. The larger pike will even attack and eat smaller pike up to half the length of themselves. Some key locater lures for spring pike are large spoons such as Daredevils. These lures can be worked fast in shallow and deeper water to cover a lot of area in a short time. Spinner baits and large Mepps spinners (my personal favorite) are also good choices for spring pike. If these lures are not triggering a lot of action, try switching to large Rapala floating minnow baits or even some Musky baits. The irregular twitch motion of these baits can be critical for triggering strikes if the fish are being a little sluggish.

Perhaps the deadliest tactic for BIG spring pike is fishing a large jointed casting plug slowly retrieved. Very rarely will a large pike turn down the easy opportunity to feed on a twitched “injured baitfish” dangling in her area. This tactic will produce many large fish, especially on a pike that follows in another artificial lure, but does not take it. Work these lures in the shallower, large spawning bays with black muck bottoms. These bays warm up fast and draw in baitfish and spawning smallmouth bass. If the pike are not up in the shallows, try casting the edges/drop-off areas at the mouths of these bays.

 Also, current areas can hold nice pike early in the year, as they will spawn in creeks and small rivers. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start doing battle with some big toothy pike… the North Country has hundreds of lakes and rivers where big pike are more than ready to give you the fight of your life!

Recipe: Blue Cheese Steaks

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This recipe probably recieves more requests than any other. Blue cheese can really add flavor to a steak. The combination of the beef flavor with the salty tartness of blue cheese really stands out.   It is easy, and can sass up any elegant steak dinner for company.

 Ingredients:

  • 4 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin filets*, 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 4 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:

Place meat on broiler pan. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until meat is browned and cooked to desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F).

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the blue cheese and butter; set aside. In a skillet, saute bread cubes in oil until golden brown. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top steaks with blue cheese mixture and sprinkle with croutons; broil 1 minute longer or until cheese is slightly melted.

TIP: *Though the recipe calls for tenderloin fillets, they can be a little pricey.  By using Certified Angus Beef®steaks (always very tender), we use 8 ounce New York strip cuts instead.   Works great, and saves about 20% on cost.

TIP:  Because we keep blue cheese refrigerated, it is very hard.  We heat it up with the butter for about 15 secs in the microwave;  makes it much easier to combine.

TIP: We grill the steaks instead of broiling.  After the steaks are almost but not quite done, we use an elongated glass baking dish to put the steaks in before adding the sauce. We then add the croutons on top first, then added the blue cheese mixture on top of the croutons and broiled them for a few minutes. Voila! A wonderful presentation that looks much harder than it is.

TIP: Brocolli is a perfect sidedish, or you might try steamed asparagus with lemon zest.  For a salad, Butter Lettuce (also called Boston Bibb) with sliced strawberries lend a unique and colorful touch.  Add a nice bottle of a light red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon.  Top it off by passing a small dish of chilled, top quality, dark chocolate mint patties.

Choosing a Camp Site

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Location, location, location

Selecting a good campsite is the most important part of the stay in the wilderness. When asked what they remember most about their visit to the outdoors, the campsite is what is remembered most, so be sure it is a good one. If a bad campsite is selected, the visit will very easily be remembered as a bad experience just because of the poor campsite selection.

In high-use areas, especially in July, look for a campsite at least by mid-afternoon or you may be out of luck! Travel early for best campsite selection; doing it in the dark is no fun. Campsites off the main travel routes or in back bays are more likely to be available and will be quieter.  But watch those bays, they can be loaded with bugs!  If you don’t have rocks in front of the site, you will probably have bugs in the site.

Setting up camp on small islands well away from shore usually helps provide a breeze to keep mosquitoes away.  Exposed points also are good for this, but they also expose your camp to higher winds if a storm comes up.  Tents should be set up in protected areas to avoid wind exposure but away from large trees to reduce the chance of injury from lightning strikes. It is common for lightning to strike a tree, the bolt travel down the tree trunk and then fan out on its extensive root system. Tents pitched beyond this root system are more safely positioned.

Observe site topography to avoid pitching the tent in depressions that could fill with water in a heavy rain.  Look for level tent sites away from the fire grate, a tarp under your tent should keep you dry, don’t let excess go more than a couple of inches past tent though. Watch for, and avoid tenting under, widow makers (loose limbs or leaning trees that might fall in a wind).

Never make campsite “improvements.”  It is illegal in a wilderness area, and detracts from the nature of the site.  If you stumble upon one of these “KOA sites” in a busy area, avoid it.  They get used by the first-timers almost every night.  The regularly used sites, in busy areas, are the prime target for camp-raiding bears.  I would rather sleep in the canoe than in this site on Ensign Lake.

Photography Tips from the BWCA

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Sunrise and sunset can give you some of the most dramatic pictures nature has to offer. Here are some tips on how to capture these visual treasures with ease.

Take advantage of camera settings

  • Use the sunset mode (works the same for sunrise) on your camera. It automatically sets the best focus and exposure (no flash) for your lighting conditions. The white balance (WB) will be set to daylight to capture and keep the warm shift in color balance.  
  • If you have a subject in the foreground of your sunset / sunrise, use the night scene mode (night flash) setting on your camera to illuminate the subject.
  • Night scene is especially good for taking a picture of a person with the sunset or a campfire in the background. Use a tripod or rest your hands on a rock or log to steady the camera.
  • Panorama mode:   what has more impact than a standard format picture of a sunrise or sunset?      A breathtaking panorama of the whole horizon!

Place the horizon off center

  • Don’t put the horizon in the middle of the frame.
  • Place the horizon in the bottom third of the frame, and let the sky dominate the scene.
  • Lower your horizon line and showcase the changing colors of the sky.

Include a silhouette

  • Add some depth and perspective to your photos. Turn off your camera’s flash option and add a silhouette in the foreground, such as your canoe, a person, a stringer of fish, or a lone leaning pine tree.
  • Moose and wolves are the two north country animals most sought after for photos.  Dusk and dawn are the prime time to look for these icons.  The best areas for both are along the Isabella and Kawishiwi Rivers, and shallow lakes like North and South Wilder.

Take your time

Start early:

  • Take a few test shots to determine which camera settings you like best.
  • Claim the best location for the show.
  • Set up your tripod and equipment.
  • Spot animals and add their silhouettes to your picture.

Stay late:

  • The color of the sky changes minute-by-minute.
  • If your camera has a timed exposure mode, put your camera on a tripod, do a test shot to get the shot you want, then set the timer to take a picture every 30 seconds, or minutes until the sun comes up or goes down.

Ely, Minnesota Outfitter and Your Mental Health

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We are living in chaotic times.
The headlines are rarely proclaiming anything good. Some people are turning off the Six O’clock News because they are tired of the constant beatdown every evening. People need a break, a time to unwind.
A few years ago, I went to a two day tourism/hospitality conference. The one line that has stayed with me from all of those presentations was: “We are in the mental health business”.
Now, I don’t know if the IRS would buy off on that one, but I can see it in the eyes of many of our customers …. they need a mental break! They don’t want any hassles, they don’t want any “Yes, but …” They want a pristine adventure, whether that be catch a bunch of fish, see a moose, sleep on an island, just spend quality time with a wife, a son or daughter, or a whole family just getting closer together. They want to look out at a flat lake at sunset. They want no news, no smart phones, no shedules, and some times no sounds. Especially no chaos.
From the day we first started North Country back in 1984, our goal at has always been: “To provide the most complete professional outfitting services for Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Quetico Provincial Park.”

But what exactly does that mean?
We try to treat every party as a unique group, with different goals, and different ability levels.
When they arrive we want their gear and food ready, and packed neatly and correctly.
We want their route to be at the pace and level they are expecting, whether that be easy or challenging.
We want our equipment to function correctly, and our food to taste good.
And when they return, we want them to get in their car saying:
“They did what they said they would do”,
“We got the trip route we requested”, and
“They charged us what they said they were going to charge”.
If we do that, with every single party, then we have succeeded. We want to be the outfitter you recommend to your friends. We want to be the outfitter you return to year after year.
None of us has a choice in whether or not we are living in chaotic times. You do, however, have a choice of which outfitter to use. Here at North Country, we have no time for chaos …………. and neither do you! We understand why people take canoe trips, and we take those reasons very seriously.