Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park

Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park

 

September 28, 1997

After several sunny and warm days, the last 3 days have been stormy with lots of rain and strong winds.  We had planned to travel to Voyageurs National Park three days ago, so have been watching the Weather Channel closely for a break in the weather.  A large low weather system moved out of the area last night and the forecast today was for warm, sunny weather.  But, as we prepared to leave, Pat heard the first light drops of rain on the roof.  The weather channel map shows that due to unstable conditions, a small batch of showers developed in one small area of Minnesota - directly on top of us.  Guess we should prepare for another day of catching up on the mail and reading indoors.  But, hopefully, the rain will stop and we can leave.  We had planned to be here in Ely, MN for about three days, but due to the rain, we have been here six.  There is a slight chance that we may see some snow flurries sometime this week.  The first three days here we experienced pleasant outdoor weather so that a canoe ride on Moose Lake was very enjoyable.  Not lots of wildlife, but saw several common loons, a family of otters, and a couple of immature bald eagles.  With the experience we obtained on Hawk Ridge with raptor experts, it is a little easier to detect the differences between turkey vultures and bald eagles from a distance. Saw lots of wild rice plants growing in the lake shallows.  The grain had already been harvested by some energetic local.  We have developed a gastronomic fondness for the nutty-flavored stuff.

Chatting with the owner of this RV park, I found that he was not as impressed with the wildlife here as I am.  At least he sees wildlife from a different perspective.  For example, he had two close calls with black bears this year.  A neighbor was feeding the bears, so they became too tame and started chasing folks around.  The owner was forced to kill 2 large bears when they became aggressive toward him.  One customer came to the office one day, explaining that he thought an earthquake had struck the area.  But looking out the window, he saw that it was only a large black bear that was standing up with its paws on the side of the motorhome and rocking it from side to side.  He hauled one of the dead bears across the lake and within two days it was totally consumed by the abundant wolves, ravens, and vultures in the area.  I had been admiring the ravens in the area, but he complained about how noisy they are in the spring.

He also complains about the winter activities of some of the local lodges.  When Moose Lake freezes, they take paying customers on dog-sledding trips into the Canoe Wilderness Areas.  It is expensive, but apparently in demand by reasonably wealthy and adventurous customers.  They carry camping gear on a sled and live out in the cold for several days.  The problem is that dog fecal matter does not decompose during the winter - it freezes.  During the spring thaw, the lake is covered with smelly, decomposing, dog poop.  Interestingly, in the summer pets are not allowed to defecate within 150 feet of the shoreline, but somehow exceptions are made in winter.

    

Yesterday we took a relaxing hike on a canoe portage trail to Ennis Lake where the local rock climbers go to get “high” on adrenalin.  We rested while watching a young couple prepare their ropes, drop over the edge, and dangle over the intimidating rocks far below.  A tiny chipmunk searched for food through their backpacks which lay on the edge of the cliff.  A grey squirrel ran back and forth, carrying pine cones to its winter cache.  (By midwinter, this area may have waist-deep snow and minus 30-degree temperatures).  Both animals were so busy that they largely ignored the humans.  

The small, deep lakes that we visited had interesting names such as “Secret,” “Blackstone,” and “Flash,” and serve to remind us of the power of the mile-deep glaciers that dug the trenches now holding the lakes.  The rock hilltops convey the impression that some giant with sandpaper had smoothed them.  When the molten lava that formed these hills was extruded, it first came into contact with water on the floor of the sea during the early Precambrian, 3.5 to 2.7 billion years ago - the earliest period that we know of.  It cooled so quickly that the lava formed an igneous greenstone which characterizes this area of the Canadian Shield bedrock.  The Huronian Iron Formations of Minnesota were laid down in the Animikean seas during the middle Precambrian about 2.6 to 1.6 billion years ago.  One-third of the world’s iron ore came from the Mesabi range that was first mined in 1890.  Interesting stuff - to me anyway.  The Sierra Club Naturalist’s Guide to the North Woods keeps us informed about all this stuff.

 

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