There’s something for everyone on the Gunflint Trail on Saturday.  Watch a skijoring demonstration at 9AM, participate in a snowshoe obstacle course or mini winter Olympics from 10-1PM at Gunflint Pines Resort, listen to a seminar at Gunflint Lodge, participate in the Volks-Ski at Poplar Creek Guest House,  watch the radar run sponsored by the Cook County Ridge Ridersbginning at 11:00AM at Windigo, play broomball at Tuscarora from 2-4PM,  knit at Hestons, snowshoe, join in the poker run, cross-country ski and end the evening at Gunflint Lodge for dinner and the Snow Boot Ball with free music by Oversize Load.  For more details check out http://www.wintertracks.com/schedule_2008.doc

posted by the Boundary Waters Blog Lady at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

Friday events for Winter Tracks start at Gunflint Lodge with a skijoring demonstration at 9:00AM.  Next it's a canoeing seminar by Bob Marchino at 11AM at Bearskin Lodge.  Make some pizza outside at Hestons from 1-3PM and listen to a winter camping seminar from 1-2pm.  Enjoy making northwoods crafts from 3:30-5:00PM at Gunflint before heading to Trail Center for an evening of fun.  WTIP will be live with The Roadhouse at 5PM and then Bump and Chris Gillis will provide live music.  End the evening with a guided wolf howl trek at Gunflint at 8:00PM.  Please be sure to check the schedule for times and locations of other events. http://www.wintertracks.com/Schedule_2008.doc

Take a drive up the Gunflint Trail and check out the snow sculptures.  You can find completed works of snow art by local artists at the Swamper Lake pull out, Trail Center, Laurentian Divide and Gunflint Lake Overlook.  More will be created throughout the weekend so be sure to check them out.

You can find local artwork for sale and indoors during Winter Tracks at Bearskin Lodge, Trail Center, Gunflint Lodge and Gunflint Pines Resort. 

Winter Tracks Events for Thursday, February 28th will begin at Golden Eagle Lodge at 10AM.  There will be an introduction to snowshoeing and a guided trek. Knit by the fire at Hestons Lodge from 2-4PM and enjoy a Mongolian Firepot Dinner at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B & B(reservations are required).  See all of the events scheduled for Winter Tracks at http://www.wintertracks.com/schedule_2008.doc

Posted by the Boundary Waters Blog Lady at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

 Come and join us on the Gunflint Trail next weekend…..

 (www.wintertracks.com)

Sample pizza from the Hestons brick oven…

Try out the snowshoe obstacle course at Gunflnt Pines.

Catch some of the plein aire artists that appear at different events—Grand Marais' Betsy Bowen painted a scene during the 2007 Winter Tracks. 

Play broomball at Tuscarora.

It's not too late to register for the Gunflint Trail Winter Tracks Festival!!!

See www.wintertracks.com.

I am not having much luck with my wildlife photography this winter.  Either I am driving when I see the wildlife and cannot stop my car in time to pick up my camera - as with wolves several weeks ago or it is dark when that moose steps out on the trail and all I worry about is not hitting him.  The other problem is all mine, the moose comes and poses for me in 5 different poses and I have left my camera at the lodge! 

So, in place of the Moose, Lynx, Wolf and bear I should have pictures of, I got a photo of the Bridgestone Tire Squirrel.  If you watched the Super Bowl commercials, you will recognized this little guy.  He moved to the Gunflint Trail to avoid the traffic!

The Plahn Party took their annual winter camping trip after spending the night at Clearwater Lodge.  They started at Clearwater Lake and skiied to West Pike where they set up camp.  I missed them when they came back but they left a note that they saw 11 wolves (2 packs) and 9 bald eagles.  I never heard how the fishing was.  This photo of them is before the start of the trip in the lodge. 

Skiing the Banadad, Firepot Dinner at a Yurt, Sleigh Ride and Snowshoeing featured on this morning's "Good Morning America." To view go to "winter on the Gunflint. and then click on "weekend window" on the upper right hand side of your screen.

Come and celebrate snow with us on the Gunflint Trail!  The Winter Tracks festival (www.wintertracks.com) is just 2 weeks away!  We'll have snow sculptures along the Gunflint Trail, and at a few resorts along the way.  Check out some of the sculptures from previous years. 

From the Minnesota DNR Website…

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging people to take time this weekend to introduce a few kids - and maybe even an adult or two - to ice fishing, one of our state’s most popular winter outdoor activities.

The 2007 Minnesota Legislature established a new Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Weekend. The DNR designated Feb. 16-18, as Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Weekend for 2008, corresponding to the Presidents’ Day weekend. During this weekend, anglers older than 16 do not need a license if they are accompanied by a child younger than 16 and actively participating in Take-A-Kid Ice Fishing Weekend.

“The idea is to give anglers an opportunity to show kids just how much fun ice fishing can be,” said Jenifer Matthees, DNR MinnAqua program coordinator. “The only way to do that is to get these excitable young anglers-to-be on the ice.”

How popular is ice fishing in Minnesota? Each year an estimated 150,000 shelters - permanent and temporary - are perched on lakes from Worthington to Warroad. DNR Fisheries estimates that about 30 percent of the annual fish harvest occurs when Minnesota’s 10,0000 lakes are frozen over.

Ice fishing presents anglers with some unique issues so the MinnAqua staff have put together a few online tips and assembled several Internet resources. Click the ice fishing banner on the right side of mndnr.gov to access the information.

MinnAqua is a statewide education program designed to teach angling recreation and stewardship as well as the ecology and conservation of aquatic habitats.

Posted by the Boundary Waters Blog Lady at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

Have you made your plans for our 4th annual Winter Tracks Festival?  If not, hurry over to our website, http://www.wintertracks.com to see all that is planned.  We've updated the brochure and schedule, and you can print your own copy to check out all of the possibilities for winter fun.

Some highlights from this year's festival will include snow sculptures along the Gunflint Trail, mini-Winter Olympics for the kids, and Volks-ski with firepot appetizers.  There will be live music at Trail Center on Friday evening, and a dance at Gunflint Lodge on Saturday night.  And as always, just step outside for the usual winter and snow related fun:  skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. 

The snow this year is fabulous!  Come on up and join us for a memorable weekend experience.