I have been writing about the outdoors and anything else that seems to matter each week for nearly a decade now, and it is time for me to take a break. Buying Skyport Lodge with my wife, Rachelle, was a life changing experience requiring a lot of time and effort that I am no longer able to share. As a... READ MORE >
The lack of rainfall has begun taking its toll this week and Smokey the Bear has raised his arm to the “high” fire danger mark to inform visitors of the dangerous conditions. The ground has become hard and dusty while the lawn grass is struggling to stay green enough to grow. There have been a few wildfires burning in Canada... READ MORE >
Grand Marais has already been busy this spring, but nothing like it will be after this weekend and here on out until the leaves hit the ground. Say goodbye to short checkout lines and fast service as the town is flooded with tourists here to enjoy the stunning beauty of Lake Superior and the fascinating communities scattered along the North... READ MORE >
This could be the buggiest year ever. If you plan to spend any amount of time outdoors, then be prepared to get eaten by both mosquitoes and biting flies for the next couple of weeks. On the up-side, fish seem to feed when the bugs do. Walleye fishing on Saganaga Lake has become noticeably better the past few days with... READ MORE >
Here we go. The season is already under way with visitors pouring in by the busloads, literally, to explore the endless opportunities along Minnesota’s pristine north shore. The endless convoy of vehicles pulling campers and/ or boats, strapped with canoes en route to a wilderness adventure— where lifelong memories are made. As a Gunflint Trail fishing guide, I have met... READ MORE >
To complain about the bugs would not be very Minnesotan of me— you don’t hear Floridians whining about the heat or Iowans wishing it wasn’t so flat. Deep woods usually means lots of bugs, and that is what we expect to endure for a few weeks each spring in the great North Woods, but this year seems worse. The biting... READ MORE >
My keen sense of birch pollen has finally released its grip this week—either the trees are going to have a bumper crop this season or my allergies are getting worse. A good rainstorm would certainly help wash away the green haze that is stuck to everything outdoors. This might be the latest warm-up I can remember. I was told you... READ MORE >
My goal to have all our docks in the water at Skyport Lodge before Memorial weekend was an epic fail. However, we did manage to push one dock into the frigid lake and prepare one fishing boat for the holiday but not too many people were on the water. Water temperatures on Devil Track Lake were ranging from 48 degrees... READ MORE >
The spring green-up is happening even though a person could still find patches of snow lingering in the shade. Seasonal allergy sufferers, like myself, can tell you that the trees are pollinating. Aspen trees are budding and soon will be full of leaves, as our landscape slowly turns green with the recent showers. Memorial weekend typically signifies the beginning of... READ MORE >
Devil Track Lake finally opened up May 15, three days after the fishing opener and nearly a week behind the big Gunflint Trail lakes. I thought for sure it was the last lake in the state to have ice until some Greenwood Lake residents came in and reported solid white ice at their place. Last fall the Devil Track and... READ MORE >
