News from Ely and the Boundary Waters

Piragis Northwoods Company

August 1, 2012 Email Newsletter

Greetings!

We want to take this opportunity to invite you to Ely. Summer is a fantastic time in the Boundary Waters. While many of you are experiencing the effects of a seemingly never-ending heat wave and little or no rain for relief, Northern Minnesota has been blessed with cooler temperatures and plenty of rain. We have recorded one of our warmest July months ever, but that is still cooler than much of the country.

Having just been out in the woods, I can report that the bugs are moderate to easy ;). We camped on a point and I only used our thermacell device once. The breeze was great. I would recommend some deer fly patches, though.

August is here. One thing we are not short on is water. The big lake, Lake Superior to the South of us, is up 2 inches for the year if that is any indication. Our water routes are good, and water levels for the most part are up. These days, if you come visit the Boundary Waters for a trip, you'll need to pack your rain gear and swimsuit, luckily you'll have much more use for the latter.

Anyway, we just want you to know that it may be hot where you are, but it is a fantastic summer to be in the Boundary Waters.

A look ahead at the next few days of Ely weather. Don't blame the weatherman if you miss out on great weather in Ely, Minnesota. It has been known to change here on a dime, so this is more just to show you how beautiful it usually is here :)

We hope to see you soon in beautiful Ely, Minnesota!

From the End of the Road,

Tim Stouffer, Marketing Director and Webmaster

Piragis Northwoods Company

Piragis Clothing Still on
SALE for a Limited Time

Save $10 - $20 on pants and shirts:

Men's Canoe Camping Pant was $69 now $59

Men's Zip-Off Canoe Pant was $79
now $59

Piragis Cotton/Nylon Camp Shirt
was $69 now $49

Women's Convertible Pant
was $49 now $39

Why I LOVE the Boundary Waters!

In today's fast paced world, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get the family together in one place for a meal, for an activity or just for a fun afternoon together. And - if you manage to do so, it could very well cost you an arm and a leg for meals and entertainment away from home. I love the Boundary Waters, because, although you have to carry them on your back, the amenities and food are wonderful around the campfire or camp stove. I believe everything tastes better in the woods and with a little imagination you can turn everyone's favorite foods into traveling delights. I don't know about you, but I like saving money and I'd rather have a Smore in the Boundary Waters than a $15 Tiramisu any day.

Camping in the Boundary Waters is filled with one fantastic photo opportunity after another. Early morning light and evening sunsets provide some of the warmest, most beautiful times to remember in the wilderness. The intricate colors on the bark of a red pine are amazing as the sun's rays ripple over their heights and limbs. The wind and light on the water is magical. Ever notice how the prow of the canoe - its shape pointed like an arrow - invites you to join in whatever adventure lies just around the bend? Sometimes I like to take pictures and sometimes I like to save these spectacular memories as just that: memories. Vacation in the Boundary Waters is a great time to "clean out" your files upstairs. You know exactly what I mean. We've all got too much useless knowledge and pieces and pixels up in our brains. I like to mentally download that stuff to my "trash" or "recycle bin" if you prefer windows. I'm a Mac guy, so I prefer to toss it and "secure empty" my trash at that. Having freed up some memory, I take a few mental shots like this and store them away in my happy place. It is good practice.

I love that as soon as we hit the water, I forget my passwords to my gmail account. I love that as soon as we get to a campsite my oldest daughter baits up and gets a fish on the line with her first cast before I've got the tent out of the canoe. I love that before camp is set up we are cleaning fish together for a fantastic first night's dinner.

I love the Boundary Waters because the bottom line is this. I never want to leave and I always want to go back. I often feel more at home than I do when I'm at home.

Read the rest here...

http://piragisnorthwoodscompany.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-i-love-about-boundary-waters.html

Why do you love the Boundary Waters? Send us your trip pictures, comments and journal entries. Let us know how your Boundary Waters adventures went! We'll post to our email newsletters and facebook. You can share with all your friends! Just email to our webmaster.

What? Ely has been getting rain? Water levels are good? YES!

While the Midwest and other parts of the country including North and Southwest Minnesota are experiencing drought conditions, we have been getting rain on a nearly weekly basis. Come visit Ely and the Boundary Waters and experience some summer relief!

Here's a link to the some MN DNR Minnesota Climatology Working Group pages online in case you are curious about our water levels and rainfall reports for this year. http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/drought_2012.htm

This year that translates to FUN and low fire danger. Two things that add up to great Boundary Waters Trips!

The Piragis Northwoods Company Boundary Waters Blog - Cliff Jacobson

BLOG 17. SELECTIVE ENVIRONMENTALISM

by Cliff Jacobson

At the outset, I should make it clear that I am an environmentalist. I taught environmental science at a Minnesota Middle School for many years. I deeply believe that we are stewards of the earth and it's our job to take care of it and to pass a caring attitude on to the next generation. This said, I take issue with selective environmentalism. Selective environmentalists mean well but they lack the knowledge and/or experience to make smart decisions. Here are some examples:

To read the rest of Cliff's Blog click HERE

Product Review: Collapsible Crawfish Trap Video!

Video Footage of One of our New Favorites:

Our intern Tanner has been working hard behind the scenes to improve the quality of our online catalog. One of his projects has been to produce a series of videos that enhance our product presentation.

Light My Fire Swedish FireKnife from Piragis

Get a knife you won't want to leave behind!
$39.95 Click Here

DETOUR THIS SUMMER ON HIGHWAY ONE To Ely

Click Here for Map

Send us your trip comments and pictures!

What You Have to Say about Piragis Outfitting:

"These pictures are from our recent first time trip into the BWCA. They show our hammock setup before and after the short thunderstorm. We camped on the Upper Pauness lake. In addition to a great picture, those clouds displayed an amazing lightning show! What a great experience for my son and I.

Thanks to Andrew in outfitting and the store staff for the assistance. We hope to make this an annual event!"

Kevin Dean