Dogsledding in the FALLING SNOW!

While we've fortunately had adequate snow for dogsledding this winter, we sure haven't had the typical piling on of the white stuff.  This week I guided a couple of families from the Twin Cities area.  They arrived from the brown landscape of the Cities and enjoyed the fresh falling snow on White Iron Lake.  About four inches have fallen, and there are "snow globe" flakes still gentling falling this morning.  We don't typically pile four people on a dogsled, but this made for a fun family photo opp.  Mishka is the dog with the white face smiling at the camera above.

 And there's Otok (the dog) smiling as he runs by, above.

Kent, above, held on tight as his dogs launched with a great burst of forward speed... or he was just hamming it up for the camera as he passed by.

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When to See Full Moons and New Moons in the Boundary Waters in 2012

With some advanced planning, you can be sleeping in the Boundary Waters under your choice of a full moon or a new moon.  

A full moon provides perfect light for night paddling and other nighttime activities.  The moon rays cast shadows across the rocks, and the beams shimmer off the lakes.  Such a setting may inspire you to howl at the moon, and listen for what howls back. 

Plan a trip around a new moon to see a purely starlit sky with views of bright constellations and the spectacular Milky Way!

May
Full – May 5
New – May 20

June
Full – June 4
New – June 19

July
Full – July 3
New – July 18

August
Full – Aug. 1 and 31
New – Aug 17

September
Full – Sept. 29
New – Sept. 15

October
Full – Oct 29
New – Oct 15

At Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service, our goal is to provide you the best information and outfitting for a successful Boundary Waters canoe trip.

The Best Dates to See Meteor Showers and Shooting Stars in the Boundary Waters

Plan your next Boundary Waters canoe trip for the best chance of seeing shooting stars! You’ll escape light pollution and find the Boundary Waters is a great location to view meteor showers. Imagine lying on your back after a day of paddling and seeing shooting stars all around you! Here are the dates and descriptions for some of the major meteor showers of the 2012 paddling season.

May 5-6, 2012  Eta Aquarids
If you’re planning an early trip to the Boundary Waters this season, try staying up late or waking up early to catch these shooting stars. Look toward the southeastern part of the sky at about 4 a.m. until just before dawn and see if you can spot the brightest stars in May!
Moonrise: 8:23p.m.  Moonset: 5:07a.m.
Sunset: 8:25p.m.  Sunrise: 5:42a.m.

July 28-29, 2012  Delta Aquarids:
Look for shooting stars between moonset and dawn for this meteor shower. In the Boundary Waters, you may see 15-20 meteors per hour in the southern part of the sky. Typically, your best bet at catching these shooting stars is approximately 2 hours before dawn.
Moonrise: 4:57p.m. Moonset: 12:57a.m.
Sunset: 8:49p.m.  Sunrise: 5:39a.m. 

August 12-13, 2012  Perseids:
This is the big one!  It is expected by many to be the best meteor shower of the season.  In the dark sky, these meteors can peak at over 50 each hour. These meteors are often bright and leave persistent trains. Look for them late into the night and into the early hours of the morning.  Photographer Layne Kennedy joined us for several cloud-free nights in the BWCA during the Perseids.  In the above image taken on Lake Agnes, he captured not one, but TWO shooting stars in the same exposure. Look closely. Both shooting starts are in front of the lighter-colored Milky Way.  During this dramatic celestial display, we laid on our backs for hours on a rock point, repeatedly exclaiming, “there’s one.”  We spotted as many as a half dozen in a single minute. 
Moonrise: 1:04a.m. Moonset: 5:00p.m.
Sunset: 8:26p.m.  Sunrise: 6:00a.m. 

October 7, 2012  Draconids:
This meteor shower is best viewed in the northern hemisphere, especially in light pollution-free places like the Boundary Waters! Unlike most, this meteor shower is best viewed in the evening rather than after midnight. Additionally, the number of meteors per hour is difficult to predict for this shower – some years there’s a handful of meteors and other years can have hundreds! Moonrise: 11:29p.m. Moonset: 2:12p.m.
Sunset: 6:35p.m.  Sunrise: 7:15a.m. 

At Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service, our goal is to provide you the best information and outfitting for your successful Boundary Waters canoe trip.  Best of luck with your star gazing!

Quetico Provincial Park Fishing Licenses Change

The Ontario fishing license process is undergoing some changes for 2012.  We received the following notice from Quetico Park indicating that licenses may no longer be available at the Quetico Ranger Stations, and suggesting that visitors should apply for their Ontario fishing licenses online or by phone.  This is the message we received from Quetico Park:

Currently we are undergoing talks with the MNR [Ministry of Natural Resources] in regards to Quetico Park's ability to sell fishing licenses using the new automated licensing system.  At this time it is unknown if we will be able to provide this service to our customers.  Because of this uncertainty, we ask that you inform your clients and request they obtain their outdoors card and fishing licenses prior to arriving at the park.

Licenses can now be obtained online at www.ontario.ca/outdoorscard.   Licenses can also be obtained over the phone by calling 1-800-288-1155 or in person at issuer locations. Licensing Help Line 1-800-387-7011.