Outdoors
Any spider experts out there?
I was hiking Tischer Creek when I ran into a spider web and found this guy crawling around. Does anyone know what kind of spider it is?
Tree Planting at Loll Designs
Starting in 2008, Loll staff has taken a field day each year and gone out to plant trees. All of us here are concerned with keeping our environment not only vibrant, but clean, healthy and beautiful too. We try to find places that are in need of watershed restoration and by providing some of what’s needed in the form of trees and shrubs we become a constructive part of restoring our local ecosystem.
Loll Designs employees got together earlier this summer to do some tree planting up at Harley Nature Center. Take a look at the video of all the fun.
Brewhouse Triathlon Results
Race results are in and photos have been posted. It was a bit chilly up at Pike Lake for the 26th Annual Brewhouse Triathlon but competitors seemed faster than ever.
More race photos and media at Duluth Outdoors
Birthday on the Brule River
By David Cowardin
Duluth Outdoors Editor
My parents were on their way to Duluth for my 24th birthday and I gave them a call:
“How about we paddle the Brule?” I asked my mom.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, hesitation that said she wasn’t thrilled about the idea but wasn’t prepared to say no on my birthday. So 20 minutes later I had my canoe strapped to the roof of my vehicle and was on my way to meet my parents in Superior, Wisconsin. From there we consolidated vehicles and navigated through the city’s orange-cone maze before moving onward to Brule.
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Swimming Lake Superior 7-28
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDor-E0GIpo
“‘Things that lived under the sea…had cities on the seabottom, an’ the island was heaved up from thar. An’ some of the things was alive in the buildins when it come up…humans got a relation to ’em, see? Everything alive come aout o’ the water once an’ only needs a little change to go back.’…. ‘Dreams of a phosphorescent palace with gardens of strange leprous corals and grotesque brachiate efflorescences, fathoms below… I must swim out to that brooding reef and dive down through black abysses. And there I shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.'” – H.P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”
Tackle shop recommendations, etc. — Advice for getting started fishing in Duluth
I’m relatively new to Duluth, and I’m hoping that PDD folks will offer advice as I begin learning about fishing here in the city. What tackle shops should I visit for tips and gear? Anyone want to share the location of their favorite fishing hole?
Swimming Lake Superior July 21st
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvCWLdZWO0Y
Warm as amniotic brine.
Beware: Attacking Otters in Duluth
Beware of attacking otters in the Duluth area. There is at least one on the loose at Island Lake. Where there is one there has got to be more.
Minneapolis Star Tribune: “Anoka triathlete suffers 25 bites in otter attack in Island Lake near Duluth” (more…)
Another post-flood trails update
Note: Please do not use trails if they are wet from today’s thunderstorm. See the link at the end of the post for info on trail work days.
There are a lot of trails open and ready for use, but some are still badly damaged. Here’s the latest report from Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Dept.:
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Exploring Lake Superior by Submarine
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-q0T5FyxAc
Jim and Allen Richardson of Gonzo Science explore Lake Superior in a two-man sub.
Duluth Trail Update
Info from Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Division:
– The COGGS mountain-biking trails are not open due to wet conditions. It is possible the trails will be open next week.
– Kingsbury Trail is closed.
– Western Waterfront Trail is passable. Hikers are asked to use caution.
– The Lakewalk is repaired and open to the public.
– Chester Trail is closed
– Lester Ski Trail is currently being surveyed for damage. Use with caution.
– Hartley Trail is open.
– Lincoln Trail is closed.
– Superior Hiking Trail can only be summed up section-by-section …
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Park Point Beach Website
The University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program has a new Park Point beach website. 103.3FM KUMD broadcasts reports based on ParkPointBeach.org at 10 a.m., Monday through Friday during the summer.
The website is a product of a water safety collaboration lead by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program, with contributions from the Minnesota Dept. of Health, City of Duluth Parks & Recreation Dept., Duluth Fire Dept., Duluth National Weather Service Office, Duluth Y, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program, Northland Red Cross and Visit Duluth.
Chester Park Dam
The dam at Chester Bowl washed away with the storm, taking canoeing programs with it. Director of the Chester Park Improvement Club, Thom Storm, said without the dam skiing programs could also see challenges.
Flooding in Duluth and North Shore
Rain, rain, go away. With 6-8 inches of precipitation in the past 18 hours, flooding in Duluth and the surrounding area has caused serious problems for everyone. With more rain on the way things are probably going to get worse before they get better. I have been personally fighting a flooding basement, but feel fortunate that is all I have had to deal with. I am wondering if now is the time to start building an ark?
Post your Duluth Flood 2012 pictures and videos in the comments. (more…)
How “Bikeable” is Duluth?
… more than you might expect, according to the folks who stopped by our bike station at Lake and Superior on Bike to Work Day a couple of weeks ago.
Watch out for trail-head thieves
I noticed a lot of broken glass last summer at trail-head parking lots, and last Friday I arrived at the parking lot at 123rd Ave. W. (Ely’s Peak, Munger Trail, Superior Hiking Trail) to meet a few folks who just had their car robbed.
So here’s your reminder to hide your valuables before leaving your vehicle and hitting the trails, unless you’re on a stakeout and plan to finally nab this punk (or these punks) in the act.
Jambox – Tune it in
My 14-year old told me about this this weekend as we were walking the dog around the neighborhood. “There’s a video of a guy snowboarding off this wall, then down into the creek and into that tunnel.” We got an e-mail at PDD headquarters this morning with this link, sure enough, the last shot is just as my kid described. Produced by local clothing company Jambox and filmed at familiar sites all over Duluth.
Stationary Kayaking on Chester Creek
The first four seconds of this video is the gonzo adventure part, but the next three minutes and 26 seconds of trying to get out of the water is pretty good comedy.
Which trails are usable right now?
Can anyone give me some tips on which trails are usable after our recent monsoons? I tried to run in Bagley Nature Area early last week and even after one day of heavy rain it was pretty soaked. I’m looking for somewhere on the east side of the city to take a run tonight. Hawk Ridge is my favorite, but I’m guessing it will be a complete mud pit for a while.
Park Point among USA Today’s “51 great American beaches”
USA Today took recommendations from “local experts” across the country to select one great beach in each state and the District of Columbia. Greg Breining, author of Paddle North: Canoeing the Boundary Waters-Quetico Wilderness, was Minnesota’s expert. He recommended Park Point.
Minnesota’s best beach lies on 6-mile-long Park Point, which shields Duluth’s harbor from the furious storms of Lake Superior. Though the water is rarely warm enough for swimming without a wetsuit, the beach is a great spot to watch incoming waves, giant saltwater freighters and Great Lakes ore carriers passing under Duluth’s signature Aerial Lift Bridge, and to spot birds that rest on the point during spring and fall migrations. The Park Point Nature Trail follows the beach and occasionally passes old-growth pine and tamarack.
“It’s going to be a great year for swimming”
Jay Austin, a lake researcher at the University of Minnesota Duluth, says Lake Superior is running warm this spring after a warm winter and lack of ice cover. The lake’s summer “turnover,” in which the warm water from below replaces cooler surface water, may occur in early June instead of the customary early July.
Star Tribune: “Warmup could bring Superior swimming“
National Trails Day
National Trails Day is this upcoming Saturday, June 2. Projects are happening all over town. Disc golfers (Zenith City Flyers) are planning work at Miller Creek Disc Golf Course. Mountain bikers (COGGS) are planning work in Hartley Park. Skiers (Duluth Cross Country Ski Club), are planning work at Spirit Mountain. The Wheels on Trails folks advocating for Universal Accessibility will be at Hartley Nature Center. The Duluth Area Horse Trail Alliance will be at the top of Gogebic Street and the DWP, brushing trails. For more info, contact Judy at 218-269-4712 or jgibbs @ duluthmn.gov.
Perfect Duluth Day Outdoor Summer Concert Primer 2012
Well, the snows have receded, so that means road construction and outdoor concerts. Here are a few highlights of the upcoming season.
June 15 | Trampled by Turtles
June 27 | Emmylou Harris
June 30 | Glen Campbell
July 1 | Wilco
July 7 | Twin Ports Bridge Festival (with the Jayhawks)
July 14 | Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival
July 21 | Steve Earle & the Dukes
July 21 | Respect Your Mother Earth Festival
Aug. 3 | Bradfest
Aug. 5 | Bayfront Jam Music Festival (with Steve Martin)
Aug. 5 | Greg Brown
Aug. 10-12 | Bayfront Blues Festival
Aug. 31 | Cloud Cult with That 1 Guy
What outdoor concerts are on your radar this summer?