Celebrate National Trails on June 4 from 10-2pm and help reconstruct a portion of the Superior Hiking Trail and City of Duluth trails at Enger Tower and Park and Central Park below Skyline Parkway. No experience is needed, equipment provided. All ages welcome. For more info: jgibbs @ duluthmn.gov or 218-269-4712.
From June 10 to 12, Hans Rey will be visiting and riding the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail Grand Opening in Crosby, Minnesota! The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be cutting the ribbon for the Grand Opening of Cuyuna Country State Recreation Bike Trail Network. The world trials champion and extreme rider Hans “No Way” Rey will ride the stunning new 30-mile mountain bike trail.
Abandoned by mining companies more than 20 years ago, the Cuyuna State Recreation Area offers the finest mountain biking within the Midwest. It is home to astonishing mountain bike single-track trails. Beginner, intermediate, and expert trails follow along the sides of 200-foot slag piles overlooking 500-foot deep crystal clear mine pools.
Hans Rey is not only a multiple Trials National and World Champion, he is one of the pioneers of Trials and Extreme Mountain Biking. Hans earned recognition with his jump over a car on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles, his volcano dance in Hawaii, his under water bungee jump, and his Machu Picchu Adventure. He was also a part of the 1996 Olympic Games by performing in the Extreme Sports Act in front of 3.5 billion viewers in the Olympic Closing Ceremonies. Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge is hosting Hans Rey for the event. Ruttger’s is the official lodging sponsor of the Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Festival.
Saturday, May 21, 9am-2pm
Youth ages 7-15 (and parents) are invited to join Hartley Nature Center and the McCabe Duluth Chapter of the Izaak Walton League for this annual free event. Activities include bird banding, birdhouse building, laser hunting simulation, fly tying and casting, and more. Youth receive a free Subway sandwich and Cold Stone ice cream. Participants must pre-register by calling 724-6735.
I’ve got some business travel set up for Northern Colorado and Utah in late June. Any suggestions for a resort which may still be running lifts? Ideally, I’d like to find something open during the week of 20 June. Arapahoe Basin is open until the 19th – that’s the latest I’ve been able to find. Also – suggestions on renting gear verses checking or shipping? Seems that for a two day junket – one is better off just renting from the shop.
Duluth’s Urban Wilderness Camp is open for registration. We take small groups of kids (10-12 years old) into Duluth’s public forests and explore local treasures. This summer, we have camps at Fairmont Park (by the zoo), Lower Chester Park, and Lester Park.
Each camp runs Monday through Thursday, 9-3:30. We do things like swim in local creeks, search for crayfish, find agates, safely eat wild plants and berries, explore forests and creeks, play disc golf and capture the flag, make up games, paddle canoes, fish, cook over fires, tie knots, set up tarps, ride the city bus, hike on the Superior Hiking Trail, bike on the Munger Trail, paddle canoes, work and play as a team, and take care of our local urban wilderness. Each day, we have healthy snacks provided by Duluth’s Whole Foods Co-op! For more information or to sign up for this or other Hartley Nature Center summer camps, go to hartleynature.org or call 218 724-6735.
I was disappointed but not surprised to hear that state lawmakers moved one step closer to allowing Lutsen Mountain ski resort to pump more water out of the Poplar River. As John Myers reported in the DNT this week, the concerns about the effects of this on fish populations have many groups concerned.
I am personally planning on telling Lutsen that not only will I not be visiting their resort anytime soon, I’ll also be spreading the word through any channel I can find. I wish there was some way I could suggest that others also send them a note saying you’ll be doing the same.
For example, people could voice their concern on Lutsen’s Facebook by “liking it” and then voicing your displeasure: page.
People could also email Lutsen to let them know you’re going to boycott the resort.
What I can’t find is the direct email address of the resort’s co-owner, Charles Skinner. I wonder where he lives. We could all visit his house and say, “hi.”
I did not plan ahead very well for this summer to get my camping reservations established at the 6 month or 1 year window reservations open up. Probably for the best as this encourages some exploration. I’m looking for advice on campgrounds along the south shore of the Lake. I haven’t done much camping in Wisconsin — a few nights on Madeline — that’s it [not including sleeping in the car in Superior]. Anybody willing to share their favorite camping spots in northern Wisconsin? I don’t need hook-ups or showers or KOA amenities. A developed swimming area and beach would be nice, as the kids will be in tow.
Western Waterfront Trail runs along the St. Louis River
Not sure why I’m thinking this way, but if you’d like to impress your sweetie with your knowledge of Duluth’s cool places, plus get some exercise and check out spring, you can’t go wrong with a nice long walk on the Western Waterfront Trail. The St. Louis River is full of migrating birds, the trail is wide enough and dry enough for hand-holding, and it is so much more “perfect Duluth” than the tourist-lined Lakewalk.
Read more details, including directions to the seldom-used but way better eastern trailhead.
From left Charlie Farrow and Tim Ek (who, along with Jason Buffington and Jeremy Kershaw make up the Death Before Dishonor group) at last year's Trans-Iowa. Note the headlamps because they will be riding all night.
Two of Duluth’s strongest endurance cyclists completed an amazing feat today in Iowa. The Trans-Iowa is a two-day, 300-mile bike race on mostly gravel backroads that starts at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning and finishes when you either cross the finish line or quit, which many people do. To win, you have to pretty much ride without stopping for a little more than 24 hours.
This one is probably pretty easy, but bonus if you know what it’s for. (I don’t, so you could probably make something up.)
Rick LeBlanc of Hermantown surpassed tradition by biting the head off not just his first smelt, but about two dozen others, too, at the Lester River on May 5, 1983. (Duluth News-Tribune file photo)
At this time of year, 20 or 30+ years ago, the hot topic in Duluth and Superior would have been the status of the smelt run.
Duluth’s mostly-vanished smelting tradition has been discussed on Perfect Duluth Day at least once before. It’s been a frequently requested item for the News Tribune Attic to cover.
So, by popular demand, the latest post in the News Tribune Attic includes a bunch of photos and a couple contemporary accounts of smelting in Duluth in the early 1980s. Enjoy!
Public Meeting: Friday, April 29, 11 a.m. to noon at Lake Superior College. Click here for details.
I had a chance to take a pack of kids out to a working orchard near Wrenshall, MN (pictured above) and it was just a fantastic experience, I’d never seen anything like it before, except in books. There used to be groves like this, and “wild” groves used by people and critters for sustenance all around our region, but there aren’t many left anymore according to the experts at UMD.
Imagine an apple production and consumption culture within a thriving orchardist community, small orchards dotting the landscape, filled with heritage varieties locally adapted to our region. This was the reality of the area around Duluth, Minn., during the first half of the 20th century. But the advent of the industrial food system divested this community of its heritage, although those abandoned orchards beckon our call back to a more sustainable way of life.
Last fall, I read about a new orchard coming in near 6th Ave E in Duluth’s Hillside. Today I found out about this chance to win an orchard for the Duluth Area from Edy’s Fruit Bars. Here’s a link to sign in and vote, vote early and often.
As of today Duluth was placed 3rd in the nation: Not too shabby. Hopefully if people can stay on this we can come out on top. Almost forgot: Duluth community members and organizations will get the fruit. If this is successful expect a surge in NICE homegrown Duluth pies & cobblers in the next 5-10-15 years.
I found one by my dog’s ear yesterday. Here we go again!
Past first tick of the year posts:
March 29, 2010
May 8, 2009
June 8, 2008
May 11, 2007
June 6, 2005
I’m trying to trail it this weekend. There are a couple of sections between here and Two Harbors that I want to tackle. My usual crew has other obligations. Looking for a #2 to cruise up Friday afternoon (4-4:30ish) and come back early Sunday afternoon.
I’m completely self sufficient, pretty serious about it type backpacker. I like to get out and bang out a few miles to get the blood going.
Anyone want to hit it with me? The weather looks iffy, but that’s why we have Merino wool and Gore-Tex, right?
