In Like a Lamb out Like a ...

Spring has sprung with a vengeance. March came in like a lamb and left like one, too. I just got the gas/electrical bill for that month, last year’s average temp was 2C/36F while this year’s was 8C/46F. Now, almost halfway through the month of April most lakes have declared ice-out, a week earlier than any previous record. One example, Sawbill Lake at the edge of the Boundary Waters was ice-free on April 4. The typical date without ice for that lake is May 1.

Closer to home, I am enjoying a very early greening. Our lilac bushes, always the first to burst their buds, started around April 1 and are by now a solid green wall. The maple trees surrounding our house are in full bloom, and various perennials are practically jumping out of the ground. Lynn has been waiting for the first tulips to open their cups, they can’t be far now.

I can’t shake the feeling that we will pay for all this early-season warmth with a frigid entry into May, possibly when I am sitting in the woods waiting for turkeys. But maybe this is really it, an early start to spring.

Fishing Little Canon River

Thanks to our inattentiveness in signing up Colin in time for the ACT, I got a little fishing (and a good jog) in. The most difficult thing about today was finding a place where I could buy my license. I decided on the Little Canon River, along Goodhue County Rd. 14, because it was not to far from Randolph, where Colin was taking his test. I stopped on Sogn Valley Trail, right by the bridge across the creek. There were quite a few rises but I could not figure out what they were after. Still, a pleasant enough hour on the creek; good to be fishing again.


View Fly Fishing Little Canon River in a larger map

Canoe Trip Planning for Summer 2010: Manigotagan River in Manitoba

Another thought: the Manigotagan is one of the southern-most rivers flowing into Lake Winnipeg. There is a very good website covering the river at this site. I am really excited about the prospect of trying this, and so is James. Starting point would be Caribou Landing at Quesnel Lake.

An overview of the trip, using waypoints provided by Manitoba Eco-Network.

View Manigotagan River Trip Plan in a larger map

January Thaw

Well, it has happened, or rather it is happening. Since about January 15 or so we have been having mild weather. Global warming? Nah, not this time, just a case of the January thaw, blamed by forecasters on the child, or El Niño.

Martin Luther King weekend (MLK) has been our traditional weekend Up North since Lynn and I were an item, 20 years now.  Always with Lynn's friends from grad school, Joel, Peggy and Peggy's family. The first time to Washburn, then many years to Lakewoods and Telemark near Cable, and more recently, the last five to six years to Big Powderhorn near Ironwood MI.

We moved from Cable to Ironwood when the snow here became too fickle and when our children (that we meanwhile had) discovered downhill skiing and snowboarding. As long as we've been going to Ironwood, MLK weekend was grim, close to 0F/-18C every year. This year was different. A warm-up had been announced for th week before, and while the weather guys are not so good at pinpointing the exact location of precipitation (especially the edge thereof), they tend to pretty good with temps.

For MLK, the weather was nothing short of awesome, down to the drive from the cities: mild temps and no precipitation meant clear roads, high speeds and early arrival. The kids did not have to cover every square inch of skin and for cross-country skiing, my eyelashes did not freeze, enabling me for the first time to admire the sights. The snow was colder than the air, much colder than the 37F/+3C. Great skiing.

The mild weather lingered into this week. Monday night, after returning from Michigan, I had a great Sisu ski class session at Battle Creek Park West in St. Paul and Mellie and I had a great skijoring outing on Wednesday night. But then, precipitation was announced and of course it was rain. And it is rain, it really sucks. Not enough to melt the snow but enough to make sidewalks, side streets and xc-ski tracks really icy. By Sunday Jan 24 it's supposed to be back to snow, I just hope it is going to be enough. By the middle of the weeks, it is going to be back to normal Jan weather, around 8F/-12C.

Canoe Trip Planning for Summer 2010

This is a work in progress and will be frequently updated. If you come across this post and feel like I am missing or mis-representing something, please comment! I would be thankful for any piece of advice!

I am following up on James' and Jack's request for a trip north of the border and have done some research. Got a book, Kevin Callan's Quetico & Beyond and scoured the Internet. By far not as much literature and resources as for the BWCA.

There are several issues.

1. Expense. $20/adult/day and $8/youth/day. For five days with three adults and four youths that would be $140 for the Martis and Langes and $180 for us. (We could have one adult solo, or we need to invite a seasoned paddler, either adult or youth). Plus, there are other incidentals.
   
   
   
2. Remoteness. Direct entry points are in Ontario, or via the BWCA.
   
   1. 262 miles from St. Paul. (Map) The least remote access point is via the Prairie Portage station, from Fernberg Road, about 25 miles NE of Ely. It is almost necessary to take a water taxi at about $60/person round trip to avoid two extra days of canoing across large lakes (e.g. at Williams & Hall). Also, various fees for remote entry into Canada are required. (haven't quite figured out whether this is per person or per group).
      
   2. Similar is via Crane Lake, at 268 miles from the Cities. (Map). Tow via Anderson Outfitters  is about $370/person, which includes a night at the motel, kevlar canoes and the shuttle.
      
   3. 320 miles. Gunflint Trail End. (Map)   Far. $65/person RT for the shuttle by Seagull Outfitters of about 8 miles
      
   4. 391 miles 129 miles farther than Moose Lake. Nym Lake, near Atikokan, ON. (Map) There are more entry points in the vicinity, others further away. Advantage: No need for a shuttle. Disadvantage? Border crossing by car, greatest distance.
      
      
      

Wild Turkeys in The City

This morning I gave James and his buddy Joe a ride to Afton Alps for their first ski outing. Since a warm month of November gave way to December, the temperatures have been more seasonable. In only one week, the ground was frozen hard and the dusting of snow we got on Wednesday is still around. No wonder the ski areas around town have been making the artificial stuff like crazy.

On the way to Afton we are heading out of St. Paul east on I-94. The weather is perfect for a day on the slopes, perfect for all manner of outdoor activities, -8C under a blue sky. I dressed up in my running gear (snickering from James and Joe over my tights) and packed the lab to take advantage of Afton State Park, immediately adjacent to the ski area. St. Paul's East Side is followed by the sprawling suburb of Woodbury, which slowly merges into the countryside. But before we even left St. Paul proper, I saw two large birds standing by the roadside. Since I was working on my breakfast, all I could do to catch the boys attention was to mumble something like “furfee” and gesture excitedly with my sandwich. James yelled “turkeys!” as we sped by. Two good-sized jakes and a third bird a little down in the ditch, just past the McKnight exit, right across from 3M headquarters. It always strikes me how big they are up close. This was even apparent while whizzing by at about 100 kph. In addition, they have something vaguely antediluvian to them, as if they could have possibly escaped from a time warp or from Jurassic Park.

I have hunted for turkeys over the past 15 years or so, in traditional turkey country of south-east Minnesota, so far without luck. About half the years, I heard the birds but did not even see them. In the cities however, I have stopped counting the number of times I have seen them. The first time (as really every time since) was really special: I was heading for Rosedale Mall with Colin and James in tow, heading north on Fairview. At the moderately busy intersection with Roselawn, which is controlled by a four-way stop sign, there was a hold-up. I couldn't tell what was going on, it did not seem like an accident, but traffic was just crawling. When we got to the intersection, the cause became apparent: three big turkeys were occupying one of the crossing's corners, they looked as if they were checking each car to decide which one would be worth high-jacking. This must be about ten years ago and I have had several encounters like this every year.

Some of the more memorable include almost hitting one while riding my bike to work in Mendota Heights' Valley Park, having one fly so low over my car while giving my brother Arnulf a ride to the airport that I thought it would enter the car through his open window and land on his lap or Colin being distracted by a small flock on East River Road during one of his first driving lessons. Turkeys, like various birds of prey and deer have become an integral park of our urban wildlife. Let's hope it stays that way and let's hope that drivers will be careful and break.


View Turkeys around St. Paul in a larger map

Turkey Hunting Planning 2010

Got together with Jim this morning to discuss details of the MN Spring Turkey Season. We quickly agreed to enter the lottery for Period D, April 29-May 3 for our usual area, Houston #349. Since the DNR got rid of the second choice, it was an easy decision. All surplus licenses are now going to be sold first come-first served. If we don't draw, we still may pick up a license anyway.