Snow-Fort City, Day 3
#snowfortcity Day 3: it’s a thing now. There are 7 nodes of activity in various stages of completion, but we have successfully transformed Leif Erikson Park.
#snowfortcity Day 3: it’s a thing now. There are 7 nodes of activity in various stages of completion, but we have successfully transformed Leif Erikson Park.
It was a great day to build a #snowfortcity with volunteers Stephen Bockhold, Sean MacManus, and others including an unnamed mom with two kids in tow who attested she was a #peoplesfreeskate participant last winter. One of the kids she was with, who I’ve never seen before, called me “Aquaman” unprompted on camera while KBJR-6/CBS-3 was filming: hope that makes the final cut.
#snowfortcity
Day 1. Duluth’s Leif Erikson Park. Most of my time was taken up by Duluth News-Tribune reporters who showed up – oops got in the paper again. Otherwise slow going with cold powdery snow – spray bottles and water make the job easier so bring those. It’s sort of Day 2 since some folks built this formidable snow fort yesterday, and got the base of another one started. It’s sort of Day 3, since I built a proof-of-concept wall before the blizzard, but it blew down so I restarted it today. A huge help was Morgan Pirsig et al. who laid down a solid sled trail which helps define the space. It goes so fast we need to bank it by the stage now. Troy Rogers aka Robot Rickshaw showed up and we demonstrated proper wall-building technique for the media. A season-long project to turn the park into a citizen-led collective art installation and playground.
I built this Snowhenge wall segment in Leif Erickson Park today in three hours with a bucket. Will it remain after a weekend of playing children, and snowstorms including 30-mph winds? Probably not. But rebuilding and rebirth are central to this season-long project where work and leisure are indistinguishable. The blizzard should die off Sunday and the upcoming week should be clear to terraform the gift of snow.
Calling all guerrilla snow-fort builders, amateur igloo engineers, wintertime sculptors, snowmen whisperers, and anyone haunted by dreams of city-wide snowball fights: It’s time.
The cold weather arriving makes me long for an August day camping and hiking the Superior Hiking Trail. Here’s a video I made this past summer of such a day.
Benjamin Olson has a show of his photography opening tonight (Friday, Oct. 4) at Tettegouche State Park. It’s a perfect setting for his images that focus on wildlife and nature. His photos make you feel like you’re witnessing a spectacular, brief moment that takes patience and persistence to find.
BO: I am a photographer, specializing in nature and conservation. It was through my background in both science and art that I was able to bridge the gap between two separate fields to help communicate environmental issues at hand.
Fall colors in Duluth and the North Shore of Minnesota area are starting to pop. In most cases along the North Shore the Fall colors will peak sooner as you get away from Lake Superior a few miles. Great spots to check out away from the lake would be to drive up the Sawbill Trail near Tofte, Caribou Trail near Lutsen or the Temperance River Road near Schroeder. We have found some of the best maple patches with a lot of fiery red colors if you explore further up the North Shore north of Grand Marais.
Maxxis Tires, a manufacturer of a variety of tires, including bike tires, sent cyclist/videographer Brice Shirbach to Duluth to show off the world-class bike trails.
Aqualad and Aquadad
“Water is the commonest symbol for the unconscious.” – Carl Jung
How did I start dressing like Aquaman to chronicle my adventures in and around Lake Superior?
Looking ahead to winter
It was a good summer. The lake was warm enough to swim for a span of several weeks. I took full advantage of the aqua-recreational opportunities, which I chronicled here. I have no natural love of fall, but this year I am looking at it as what it is: the long, slow, beginning of winter. And since I feel fortified against the coming colder weather, snowfall, and ice conditions, I am making plans.
You may have seen signs and literature around town encouraging pet owners to pick up after their pooches. Here’s a PSA for the campaign. Sponsored by Duluth Park and Recreation Department, along with the Regional Stormwater Protection Team.
With Jenna Kelly and Jody Kujawa, video by Danger Bird Productions
