Gunflint Trail Association

We are having some fun with promoting the new Gunflint-Trail.com website.  A “street team” is roving the Twin Cities metro area for several days, passing out Gunflint Trail Mix, and encouraging people to sign up for the two contests shown on the website.

There’s a hint of fall in the air – and it feels great.  Nights are cooling down, days are sunny and crisp, but comfortable enough for t-shirts and shorts.

Go ahead an sign yourself up for the getaway, and sign up your friends for the “send a friend packing” contest.

View the video: 

Portaging and handing out Gunflint Trail Mix

Lake Calhoun in the Twin Cities

Twin Cities "Uptown"

A few yellow leaves have been spotted – nights are a little cooler.  The sky is that bluer than blue color of lower humidity days.

Fall colors on the Gunflint Trail arrive earlier than other regions of Minnesota.  Moose maples change right after Labor Day.  The maple highlands follow and are turning red by mid-September.  Aspen and birch are the last to turn their bright, bright yellows, and more muted peachy yellows.  Together with the green pine, a wonderful autumn mosaic blankets the landscape, contrasted with blue lakes and blue skies.

Some consider September the best time for vacations on the Gunflint Trail whether you are camping, in a cozy cabin, or canoeing.  There are almost NO bugs and the fishing picks up as the lakes cool down.  Low humidity and cooler temps make those wonderful hiking trails a pleasurable adventure.

And, while you are on the “Trail” make sure you stop by Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center.  It’s open through mid-October.

Gunflint Trail Fall Colors

Summer on the Gunflint Trail 2010 reminds me of vacations when I was a kid.  The days are warm, with plenty of opportunity to jump into the nearest lake several times.  Floating around on an inflatable raft is delightful.  The forest is the greenest of green.  Berries have been prolific. The air is full of aromas of pine trees and sweet scents of late summer wildflowers.  Nights are full of stars, and if you are lucky, Northern Lights (photo by Bryan Hansel).  More Northern Lights photos, by Travis Novitsky.

There is still time to book a Gunflint Trail August vacation, but act NOW.

Boundary Waters permits are available, too.  And, September is coming up – the best month to canoe, according to many of the “locals.”

Looking for a little night music?

Outdoors at Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail:

The Trail’s End Band plays primarily classic rock favorites with a variety of country rock thrown in for good measure.
All the members of the band have played their respective musical instruments for the majority of their lives, either solo or in a number of musical groups. Mark Darling on keyboards; Jeff Sylvester lead singer and guitar; Jon Kallberg on bass guitar and vocals; Tony Faras on guitar.

August 13, 5:30 to 9 PM.

For those of you looking for a family-oriented event, try Grand Marais’ Fisherman’s Picnic this weekend, August 5-8.   A full schedule of events is available at the Cook County events website.   For those of you wishing to take in a small-town festival packed with fun, but enjoy a little quiet time, too, visit Grand Marais for a few hours, then head back to your cabin in the woods on the Gunflint Trail.

PS Watch for the predicted northern lights, “aurora borealis.”  A photo from August 3.

If you really want to get away from all the buzz of city life, try a vacation on the Gunflint Trail.  While most Minnesota cities are hopping with the excitement of events, and the associated traffic, noise on the Gunflint Trail usually amounts to a little bit of wind, loons, and, maybe, some kids off in the distance enjoying a romp in the lake.  Gunflint Trail cabins are spaced well on a variety of clean, clear lakes.

For even more quiet – dip your paddles, and find a spot in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Gunflint Trail canoe outfitters are here to help you prepare for, and outfit your trip, complete with food, equipment, and canoes.

The weather has been lovely this summer, with just the right amount of sun and moisture.  Blueberries are ending their season, but raspberries are ripe.

When you think about those vacations you had as a kid at a Minnesota resort, and dream to go back there – why not REALLY go back here, and spend some time on the Gunflint Trail.

Minnesota is looking for chick counters. From the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas (MNBBA) website: “The Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas is an important bird conservation project that will identify every species that breeds in the state and where in the state they breed. Minnesota is one of only seven states, and the only state along the Mississippi Flyway, that has not developed an atlas.”

This is a citizen science project. Volunteers sign up for a particular location within the state, and survey it for breeding birds. Each area is assigned a coordinator, so even novice birders are able to participate.

The end of the Gunflint Trail (my survey area) has a wealth of birds to watch, whether a part of the survey, or for pure enjoyment. The loon family pictured has been observed frequently for the past month.

So how is it we can pick all these blueberries? Is it the communing with nature? Is it the exercise? Why do we love it so much? Cause it’s a long winter ahead, that’s why – and blues taste so good when it’s -25.

There are those who pick clean, and those who pick dirty. Those who pick stooped over, and those who just plunk down in the middle of the patch.

Then what? Some carefully wash each berry. Me, I prefer the cake pan method of cleaning (but I pick clean to begin with). A layer of berries in the bottom of the pan, tip back and forth, remove the green ones and any debris. Then, flash freeze ‘em. Once frozen, any leftover debris stays on the bottom of the pan. Just scoot the berries into a bag and pop into the freezer.

Then, there’s the jam and jelly folks – oodles of jars have shown up around the cabin. The smell of jelly-making is fantastic. And, of course, the occasion blueberry pie. An indulgence, but someone has to sample it.

Naturalist seminars continue on Thursdays through August. You can download a brochure about this summer’s program here.

The Gunflint Trail Historical Society is pleased and delighted that an idea and dream of five years ago, has come true. July 4 is the opening of Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center. The “big top” has been set up, gates open at 11 AM.

For more information please visit these websites:
Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center
Chik-Wauk’s blog

Please allow plenty of time if you are attending the grand opening.