B2B requires more thoughtful planning

As I See It

I’d like to draw your attention to the Minnesota DNR proposed Border-to-Border Route (B2B) that seeks to utilize existing public roads within the county in its plan to promote a designated route specifically for Off Road Vehicle (ORV) use. My comments in regard to the proposed B2B center on the following objectives: 1) To clarify what the B2B offers versus […]

May your New Year be blessed with fun outdoor activities


Hi. This is Steve Robertsen, interpretation and education specialist for the Superior National Forest with the first National Forest Update of the year. 2020 seems like an incredibly futuristic date to me, and while we don’t have flying cars yet, we do have robotic vacuums, pocket computers, and drones. In the midst of all that tech stuff, some of which […]

U.S. Senate candidate to speak at Cook County Community Center


Paula Oveby, a third party candidate for the U.S. Senate, will be in Grand Marais on Friday, January 17, 7 p.m., to meet with people in the Cook County Community Center Social Room. A documentary movie, “Scarred Lands and Wounded Lives” will be shown with a discussion to follow. The documentary is about the environmental impact of war. Admission is […]

Dupre makes plans to summit Mount Hunter

Lonnie Dupre is currently in training in Colorado, getting ready to make another try at climbing to the top of Alaska’s Mount Hunter. At 14,573 feet, Mount Hunter is the steepest and most technical of the three great peaks in Denali National Park. It is also known as the most difficult 14,000- foot peak to climb in North America. Lonnie […]

Norpine fat bike classic


The fourth annual “Norpine Fat Bike Classic” will be held Saturday, January 11, with racers starting and ending at Cascade Restaurant & Pub. Entrants will compete in either the short course, 15 miles or the long course, a full marathon of 26 miles. The riders participating in the long course will leave Cascade Restaurant at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with […]

Common angler question: Does my ice shelter need a license?


As more anglers prepare for ice fishing, the DNR sometimes receives questions about ice shelter licenses. Minnesota fishing regulations recognize two types of shelters: portable and nonportable. A portable shelter is one that collapses, folds or is disassembled for transportation. Portable shelters only need licenses and identification when left unattended, which is defined as all occupants being more than 200 […]

Boys fall to South Ridge/ beat Lakeview


Last Friday night at the Pam Taylor gymnasium, the CCHS boys’ basketball team took on a tall order when it faced the South Ridge Panthers. Standing in the Vikings way was burly Panther senior center 6’8” Kayden Palmi. Palmi must weigh about 300 pounds. It’s hard to block out someone whose large enough to block out the sun when you […]

Slalom ski teams do well at Virginia Invite


Ray Dressely had a great day on the slopes said head coach Charles Lamb. The eighth-grader finished in fourth place to lead the Cook County boys’ team to a second-place finish at the Virginia Invite, which was held December 20, at Giants Ridge. “Tough, fast skiing earned Ray a trip to the stage with an impressive 4th place finish,” said […]

Girls declaw South Ridge Panthers, fall to Cherry Tigers


Arianna Poyirier made the first basket and the last basket for Cook County in the Vikings exciting 60-59 win over the South Ridge Panthers last Friday night in a game played at home in front of a packed crowd in the Pam Taylor gymnasium. While many will have forgotten Ariana’s first two-point shot– a seven-footer in the paint–not many who […]

Nordic ski trail report for Cook County

Looks like the warm weather is finally gone, which means no more rain, not until spring, anyway. That’s good news for cross-country skiers, snowmobilers, downhill skiers, snowshoe enthusiasts, and hikers. With the recent snowfall, most of the county’s 500 kilometers of cross-country ski trails have been groomed and are ready for action. All skiers between the ages of 16-64 who […]