Piragis Northwoods Company Enews
February 17, 2011
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Greetings!
Yesterday we nearly reached a balmy 60 degrees here as the warm sun shown bright and threatened to turn the streets to liquid. Snow was sliding off roofs, melting into basements and disappearing faster than it takes you to walk your favorite portage.
Today caps a three day melt down thaw in which we've reached the mid-forties or higher. Tonight promises to cool down and put a nice crust on top of the lakes. That means by this time over the weekend, we'll hope to be skate skiing on the crispy surfaces of our favorite haunts. Next week the cold will be back with style.
That is winter in Ely, constantly changing. It keeps us busy and it keeps us smiling.
From the end of the road,
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Saw-whet Owl Sighting by Steve Schon
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Last Friday a friend from Ely called us and said she had a Saw-whet Owl in her backyard. Drew Brockett and I of course went right over there to check it out. When we got there it was perched on her back fence in some shrubs, alert and hunting. There was a bird feeder in the yard and a garage, both of which apparently had some mice and/or voles as visitors. The Saw-whet is Minnesota's smallest and undoubtedly cutest owl. They usually arrive in Ely starting in late February/early March, set up a territory, raise their young and leave in the late fall. A few overwinter in northern Minnesota so this one could be a winter resident or an early migrant. Another friend told us she has had a Saw-whet singing in her neighborhood so maybe spring is on the way!   Who knows? Is this the same Saw-whet owl that we saw perched on a chair of the Northern Ground's deck late last fall? He was taking refuge from the wind and perhaps he opted to head across town instead of taking a longer trip South?  |
BWCACAST.com High DEF Video: How to set up a tip up for ice fishing.
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from BWCACAST.com
Winter is upon us and it seems its already over half way done. If you've been out ice fishing I hope you've been successful and enjoyed the time outdoors. For those of you who haven't been out ice fishing before we've put together this little HOW TO video showing you the basic steps in setting up a Tip-Up. This is a great way to set a line through the ice and still have the opportunity to move around instead of being tied down to your fishing hole. Check the regulations in your area because you may be able to have more than one line in the water using this method. We hope you find this video helpful and get the opportunity to catch some nice fish this winter.
Click Here to VIEW
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| Takucmich Lake Canoe Trip |
Drew's 2010 Fall Trip
Throughout the years, I have written about my annual trip with my uncle from Santa Fe, Kerth, the inventor of Atomic Hashbrowns, and now is the time to take you on another journey. It's a perfect time for this story since many people are thinking about their summer trip to the BWCA and also need to think about something other than snow and ice. So, trade in your shovel for a bent shaft paddle and away we go!
September 24, 2010
Entry Point #14 Little Indian Sioux River North - Upper Pauness - Lower Pauness - Loon - Little Loon - Slim
What a day!! It rained all day and it was a strong north wind. We are soaked and tired when we see the site on Slim that we were hoping to get. Not even the best raingear will keep you dry in a soaker like we had. The paddling from Devil's Cascade to Slim was some of the toughest we've faced. It was the kind of into-your-face wind that when you were along the shoreline, it seemed like you were hardly making any progress. The full-day rain turned many portages into rivers, especially the one between Little Loon and Slim. But, we made it to a wonderful site and set up the tarp and tent; then changed clothes and took a little nap. No matter what the day is like, it's so good to get out there again, plus the autumn colors are brilliant.
Read the rest of Drew's story here on our blog.
Call or email Bert or Drew to plan a trip into the Boundary Waters or Quetico wilderness in 2011!!!
See you round the bend,
Drew Brockett
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Trip Spotlight:
Brazil 2011 with Kim McCluskey of Worldwide Paddling Adventures
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Brazil is a paddler's dream: jungle fjords protected from the ocean and surrounded by lush, tropical flora, relaxed European-flavored culture, lovely guesthouses and sophisticated, fresh food. Our new Brazil trip begins on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana in Rio. We move to Paraty, a charming, fascinating city on the coast, whose cobblestone streets and buildings date from the 1800s. We paddle down fjords, where the local fishing culture has been preserved and fishermen still throw nets from dugout canoes. We sleep in guesthouses, visit mangrove swamps and historic rum plantations, and swim in jungle waterfalls. The beaches are deserted because this is the cool season in Brazil, even though it feels warm to us. The dates for this adventure are: May 10 - 22, May 26 - June 7 and June 10 - 22 For more information email KIM or call him at 218-365-4297  This is my favorite place. We will stay and extra night here from now on. It is very idyllic. - Kim Mamangua fjiord  One of the amazing places our paddles touch water in Brazil - Kim |
| Great deals on paddles, 30% off regular prices. |
| Discounted Bending Branches Paddles in Stock!
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Your Friends in the
Great Northwoods | 105 North Central Avenue
Ely, MN 55731
1-800-223-6565 |
We Are Solar Powered
Click the link above and you'll find a graph of our energy production and consumption here at Piragis in Ely.
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