Enough Already!
There is winter...and then there is this! For anyone who lives anywhere in the central U.S., Mid-west, Northeast or in some cases, even the deep south, winter has been, shall we say, a bit obnoxious! Even the dog mushers haven't ventured out nearly as much this winter. It's times like these that can cause one to think the buzz of a mosquito isn't so bad...if it was accompanied by a 70 degree day! Up in these parts, we've seen 40 below on several occasions and have been in record territory on consecutive below zero days. Enough Already! When there's nothing you can do to change the weather, you have to change the frame of mind. In the computer savvy world we live in, there are lots of ways to break the grip of winter. One of my favorite ways to pass time is with maps... more specifically, satellite imagery. I can spend hours pouring over this stuff. At first, I was apprehensive about people being able to count the shingle on my roof. Now however, with technology what it is, being able to almost count the rocks on a newly discovered reef on your favorite lake is worth the view! Though all parts of the Canoe Country aren't crystal clear just yet, imaging keeps getting better. One of the areas I've had particular interest in has been the Pagami Creek fire area. Checking out the progression of regrowth has been fascinating. Needless to say, satellite imagery websites are a neat tool in planning future canoe trips as well as a fun way to pass the chilly time this winter.
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Notice the Outline of the Pagami Creek Fire area in this Image
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Two of my favorite sites for satellite imagery are ArcGis and Google Maps. Another great site is the Minnesota DNR site...more specifically, Lakefinder. This site should be of particular interest to the fishermen in your group. Besides giving lots of details (including fish types) about many lakes in the Boundary Waters, you can also download lake maps! Try pulling up a lake map and compare it with the satellite image opened in a different tab. Unfortunately, Lakefinder doesn't cover Quetico lakes.
Check these sites out to beat the winter blues... but don't get too sucked in and forget shovel the driveway! Dave
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Around the Base
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Every season brings a different look at the natural scene in the Northwoods. More specifically, wildlife in the Canoe Country fluctuates with the changing conditions pretty much on a regular basis. For example, in some years we've had high numbers of Great Grey owls that came down from north of us, due to certain weather and food conditions. Due to a variety of reasons, our moose population is currently at a low, while other areas have good numbers. Basically all wildlife will naturally go through ebbs and flows with their numbers and the Canoe Country is a prime area to see this happening. | More snowshoe hare means more lynx | During the last several years the snowshoe hare population has become very high in and around our area. Because of this there has been an increase in the number of lynx around Ely...including around our base at Williams and Hall. We have had at least one hanging around here for a good part of the winter. Some folks have been lucky enough to get pictures but so far, this one has eluded my camera. Lynx not only do well with high numbers of snowshoe hare but also thrive in deep snow as their proportionally large feet can keep them on top of the snow during pursuit of prey.
Dave
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