Weekly events: Visit the weekly events page for details.

Bicycling and Inline Skating on the Gateway Trail (Mondays)
Bicycling Before the Meeting (Tuesdays)
Ultimate Frisbee Before the Meeting (Tuesdays)
Night Hikes (Wednesdays)
Rock Climbing (Fridays)

Wednesday, July 28     WEDNESDAY NIGHT HIKE
Hiking at Tamarack Nature Center. Located in White Bear Township. Meet in the parking lot off of Otter Lake Road at 7:00 p.m. We hike rain or shine, until about 8:30 p.m. The trails here are unpaved and may be muddy. You may want insect repellent tonite. Sorry, no pets allowed at Tamarack. Rover membership not required — bring a friend! Optional socializing after the hike.

Directions to Tamarack Nature Center: From Downtown St. Paul, take I-35E North to Highway 96, go east on Highway 96 to Otter Lake Road, go north. Tamarack is located approximately 2½ miles on the left-hand side at 5287 Otter Lake Road.

Jack G. • 651-247-6490  

Thursday – Sunday, July 29 – August 1      SORRY, THIS TRIP IS FULL, WAIT LIST OPEN  
Sailing the Apostle Islands. Sail the beautiful and scenic Apostles. Beautiful 38' sloop. Relaxed trips. Learn to sail. Leave Thursday afternoon, board early evening. Wind determines where we go, but usually includes short hikes, swims (for the brave-hearted). Music provided by sails, waves, and boat. Prefer no drinking unless a glass of wine or beer at dinner. These trips are about the experience (vs party boats). No exerience required for some spots. No refund, unless I can fill the spot, which usually is possible. REQUIRED: phone, email, and sail/boat resume if you haven't sailed with me before (I need to know who knows what.) Estimated cost: $252+gas, food. Deposit: $252. Max trip size: 7.

Geoff S. • 651-698-5097

Friday – Sunday, July 30 – August 1    
Family-Friendly Camping. Stay one night or two. While not exclusive to those with kids — this is a great opportunity for those of you with kids to bring them out and introduce them to camping. Rovers members have free use of cage items — there are canoe opportunities for those with older kids, and we have plenty of gear to help outfit your crew. William O'Brien State Park is a beautiful park on the side of the St. Croix River only an hour from the Cities. Activity options including: hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, fishing, bird watching, geocaching and there is a great ice cream shop nearby! We can take a trip over to Taylor’s Falls too if there is interest. Meals are on your own but the shared cost will include camping, firewood and s’mores. In the spirit of Rovers, we encourage you to bring reusable utensils. No pets. Estimated cost: $5-$10. Deposit: $5 per night. Max trip size: 35.

Barry S. • 651-405-0051  |  Tess S. • 612-978-7906

Friday – Sunday, July 30 – August 1    
Wild Caving at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. We will camp two nights at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park and take the Wild Caving Tour. This tour will spend 2.5 - 3 hours underground in undeveloped portions of the cave and will involve crawling, stooping, squeezing, and getting muddy. Other activities available in the park or nearby include hiking, biking, fishing, and tours of the Historic Forestville pioneer town. We plan to leave from St. Paul around 5:30 p.m. on Friday and return around 8:00 p.m. Sunday. The tour and camping fee are non-refundable. There are specific gear requirements for boots, gloves, and clothing, and anyone without appropriate gear (as determined by the guide) will be excluded from the tour without a refund. All other caving equipment is supplied by the park. Contact Jane or Rahul for details. There may be room for a few people to come for the shorter walking cave tours or other activities, but priority will be given to those participating in the Wild Caving tour. Estimated cost: $65 + gas & food. Deposit: $65. Max trip size: 10.

Jane P.  |  Rahul D.

Wednesday, August 4    WEDNESDAY NIGHT HIKE
Hiking Historic Summit Avenue. Join us on an urban hike along historic Summit Avenue. Meet at Fairview Ave and Summit Avenue — near Whole Foods store. We'll hike North, towards the Cathedral. We will start promptly at 7:00 p.m. and hike until approximately 8:30 p.m. We hike rain or shine; bring rain gear, if necessary, and bug spray. We will stay on sidewalks, so dogs are allowed on leashes. Kids welcome. Rovers membership is not necessary for day trips. Guests are welcome, so bring a friend! Optional socializing afterward at Grand Old Creamery.

Mark R. • 651 216 2013

Friday – Sunday, August 6 – 8    
Camping and Hiking. Leave early Friday morning and come back late on Sunday afternoon.evening. This is walk in camp site so limited to 2 small tents and 2–3 people. Pit toilet and carry in water from campground. I'm planning some strenuous hikes in Glacial Lakes State Park, so please be in good condition for hilly hiking. Bring your own tent, gear, food, and good hiking shoes! I'm really looking forward to this trip and would love to have others come along. Estimated cost: 1/2 of campsite fee + gas + food. Max trip size: 2-3.

Joannie J. • 612 812-6445

Saturday, August 7    SOCIAL EVENT
Summer Celebration. Back yard picnic/BBQ. 6:00 p.m. until whenever. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage. Contact Laura to RSVP and for directions.

Laura A. • 612-839-8758

Saturday, August 7     DAY TRIP
Biking and BBQ Potluck — 2010 Edition. We'll bike about 25–30 miles, mostly on the Gateway Trail, a few miles on suburban streets. This will be an easy-to-moderately paced ride, partly a loop, partly an out-and-back. We'll stop for a break along the way. Plan on the ride taking about 2 hours. HELMETS REQUIRED. Meet at my house in White Bear Lake at 4:00 p.m. Upon returning, we'll fire up the grill at about 6:30 p.m. Join us for just the ride or just the BBQ. Bring a lawn chair, your beverage of choice, a dish to share, and whatever you want to grill. RSVP to get directions and let me know what you are bringing. Bring a friend — Rover membership not required for day trips.

Last year's trip report

Jack G. • 651-247-6490

Wednesday, August 11    WEDNESDAY NIGHT HIKE
Hiking at Battle Creek Regional Park. We will hike about 3.5 miles on paved bike/walking trails along Battle Creek. Meet at the parking lot on Point Douglas Road at 7:00 p.m.This is a nice hike through a forested area, where you can feel like you are out in the woods even though you are still right in St. Paul! This is an out and back hike, so you can hike a shorter distance if you choose and the group will find you on the way back. There will be ice cream and socializing afterwards.

Directions to Battle Creek Regional Park: To get there, take Hwy 61 to Lower Afton Rd. Go east on Lower Afton and take the first left on Point Douglas Rd. The parking lot is at the end of the road. Estimated cost: free.

Jane P.

Thursday – Sunday, August 12 – 15    
Day Hiking on the Border Route Trail. We welcome you to join us for a 3-day weekend of day hiking on the Border Route and further trail layout on the Moss Lake Ridge Trail which is now under development. We’ll depart from the Roseville REI at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, stop at Sir Benedict’s in Duluth, and continue up the North Shore to Grand Marais where we’ll head up the Gunflint Trail to our slightly developed but still primitive campsite on the Cross River upstream from Gunflint Lake.

On Friday we plan on doing a 10.5 mi. day hike and trail condition reconnaissance on the BRT from the South Lake Trail westward to the Crab Lake Cutoff. We’ll hike in on the South Lake Trail, built by the CCC in the 1930s and a marvel in trail layout. When we hit the BRT, we’ll head west past Sock and Topper Lakes to the Crab Lake Cutoff at which point we’ll take a left and head back to the Gunflint via the Cutoff and the Crab Lake Maintenance Access Trail. You can expect to see some good overlooks towards South, North, and Gunflint Lakes plus in the Crab Lake area you’ll get to experience the re-growth following the Ham Lake Burn of two years ago. With luck the raspberries and/or blueberries will still be out.

On Saturday we’ll hike in on the South Lake Trail and split into two groups, one to do maintenance on the South Lake Trail and the other to head east on the Birch / Moss Portage to continue the layout on the western end of the Moss Ridge Trail. When completed the Moss Ridge Trail will form part of a 12.5 mile loop route which will incorporate some of the most spectacular concentration of overlooks in the Upper Midwest. It’ll be well worth the effort.

On Sunday we’ll pack up camp in the morning and head over to the Caribou Rock Trail where we’ll once again split into two groups, one to do some day hiking on the Caribou Rock Trail and the other to continue with the refinement of layout on the Moss Lake Ridge Trail. We aim to get on the road by 3:00 p.m., stop for fast food in Duluth, and be back in the Twin Cities by 9:00 p.m. Estimated cost: $55. Deposit: $55. Max trip size: 10.

Sponsoring organization: Border Route Trail Association & The Border Route Trail Meetup Group

Ed S. • 612-822-0569

Thursday – Monday, August 12–16    SORRY, THIS TRIP IS FULL, WAIT LIST OPEN  
Hiking-Kayak Trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Leaving Thursday morning with carpooling in St. Paul, returning Monday. On Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., one-day guided kayaking at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with our guide from Northern Water Adventures. The group rate is $120 for the day of kayaking. All equipment plus wet suits will be provided with instruction, but no lunch. Single and double kayaks will be available. If waves are too big at Pictured Rocks, which rarely happens, then we will go to the more sheltered Grand Island which also has sea caves and beautiful settings. There is no refund from Northern Water Adventures. On the drive to the Pictured Rocks, we’ll stop for one day of hiking at Porcupine Mountain State Park on the Escarpment Trail from where we can see Lake of the Clouds. Aside from a wish for clear sailing, hopefully we will have no clouds on the trip since there are two celestial events to watch, one being the Perseids meteor shower, the other is the Paulding Light. The Paulding Light however doesn’t require getting up in the middle of the night. There will be other shared costs for camping sites and cars/gas that are yet to be determined. More details will be following as the trip date approaches. Lunch/dinner will be at restaurants or you can bring your own food. Max trip size is 8. Estimated cost: $170. Deposit: $120. Checks are to be made out to Jim Hoeppner, 50% deposit ($60) due May 15, with other 50% due June 15. Max trip size: 8.

Jim H. • 612-290-1857

Friday – Sunday, August 13 – 15      SORRY, THIS TRIP IS FULL, WAIT LIST OPEN  
Backpacking on the Angleworm Trail. Features: 14 mile trail, with 11 miles forming a loop around Angleworm, Home and Whiskey Jack Lakes. 9 designated campsites. Location: 14 miles northwest of Ely on the Echo Trail. Description: Rugged trail through stands of red and white pine with many high ridges with scenic overlooks. Friday night stay in a campground. Saturday, backpack 7 miles, swim, fish, sun. Backpack out 7 miles. Estimated cost: $50 + gas + 2 meals on the road. Deposit: $25. Max trip size: 9.

Frank T. • 763-784-5901

Saturday, August 14    DAY TRIP
“Take a Day Off” Day at Stearns County Mississippi River Park. Show kids how much fun the outdoors is! The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting a day of Outdoor Family Fun from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 14, and they have asked the Rovers to help. The park will be buzzing with fun activities such as learning how to fish and cast, paddling, geocaching, a laser shooting range, archery, hiking, building a bird house, and more. Sign up for a 2-hour shift — and then enjoy the park afterward.

Stearns County Mississippi River Park is located at 41300 County Rd. 1, Rice, MN 56367. It is 6 miles north of Sartell on CSAH 1. Contact Stacey G. if you are able to help. Estimated cost: $0.

Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Stacey G. • 612-207-2806

Saturday Sunday, August 14 – 22    
Backpacking NE Yosemite Park. Hike 7–8 miles each day on specatacular loop in NE Yosemite mountain crest near Peeler Lake and Sawtooth Range. Must be seasoned backpacker in good shape. Estimated cost: $300 plus $330 airfare. Deposit: Buy your airfare. Max trip size: 6 to 8.

Mike H. • 651 696-0926

Sunday – Sunday, August 15 – 22    
Backpacking Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We will hike a 42- mile section of the North Country National Scenic Trail along Lake Superior, stretching from Munising to Grand Marais. We’ll depart Sunday and begin backpacking Monday AM, spending the next 4 nights at backcountry campsites for which I have reservations. We’ll get off the trail Friday, and spend Saturday as a layover day for exploring the area or just relaxing, returning on Sunday. Some experience is required because of the distance and because we’ll have two 10+ mile days with full packs. We must share tents on the trail as park rules require a maximum of 2 tents per site. We’ll have a planning meeting to discuss trip logistics and details. Estimated cost: $25 for back country fees + gas + 3 nights car camping + food + any meals eateni out. Deposit: $25. Max trip size: 4.

Jack G. • 651-247-6490

Friday – Sunday, August 20 – 22      SORRY, THIS TRIP IS FULL, WAIT LIST OPEN  
Gooseberry Falls in August. Join us at Gooseberry Falls State Park for biking, hiking, possible paddling, and general relaxing at the Pebble Creek group site. Come up Friday evening and stay until Sunday. People are free to spend their days however they wish, but some of us will do the Gitchi-Gami Annual Trail Ride, a fundraiser for the trail, on Saturday (28- and 55-mile routes). This is a hilly, but very pretty, ride with spectacular views of Lake Superior! (To register for the bike ride, visit the GGTA site. Cost goes up after 8/2.)

For those who want to do something instead of or in addition to the ride, Gooseberry has 18 miles of trails, the Gitchi-Gami Trail and the Superior Hiking Trail both run through the park, and paddlers will find Lake Superior is VERY CLOSE! (I am looking for someone to coordinate a paddle.) We’ll provide a couple of Coleman stoves, some basic pots and pans, and a grill. You bring your own food, snacks, beverages, plates/utensils, lawn chair, and camping gear. Tents and sleeping bags are available from the Rovers for free, but you will need to make arrangements with the cage coordinator to reserve and pick up. Rovers membership is required for this overnight trip. Beginners are welcome. (Joining is easy and is just $25 per year.) We’ll arrange carpooling as the trip gets closer. Estimated cost: $10 + gas + food+state park vehicle pass. Deposit: $10. Max trip size: 20.

Stacey G. • 612-207-2806

Wednesday, August 25    WEDNESDAY NIGHT HIKE
Hiking at Bryant Lake Regional Park. . Never been to Bryant Lake? Didn’t even KNOW Bryant Lake Regional Park EXISTED? Join us to explore this pretty Three Rivers park in Eden Prairie! We'll meet in the parking lot by the Pavilion at 7:00 p.m. (accessible from the main entrance to the park, NOT the Dog Park.) Bring your rain gear (we hike rain or shine) and bug spray. For those interested, we’ll look for a place nearby to socialize after the hike. Come early and sample the beach or the disc golf!

Directions to Bryant Lake Regional Park (6800 Rowland Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344): From Highway 100 and Highway 62 (Crosstown): MN-62 West for 2.8 miles. Continue onto US -212 W for 1.3 miles. Take the Shady Oak Road exit toward County Road 61 (for 0.2 miles). Turn right at Shady Oak Road (for 0.3 miles). Take the third left onto Old Shady Oak Road (for 0.1 miles). Old Shady Oak Road turns slightly left and becomes Rowland Road (0.3 miles). The main park entrance is on the left.

Stacey G. • 612-207-2806

Sunday, August 29    DAY TRIP, FAMILY FRIENDLY
Twelfth Annual Summer in the Sticks. Join us at Elm Creek Park Reserve for biking, hiking, inline skating, swimming, picnic, etc. If you’re willing to make the trek all the way to the NW ’burbs to this terrific park in Maple Grove, meet at the recreation area near the beach and we’ll start there. Meet at 9:00 a.m. for a road bike ride (40–50 miles, route TBD), or later for other activities (e.g., shorter bike rides, inline skating, hiking, volleyball, swimming, disc golf) . People willing to coordinate other activities would be appreciated*, otherwise just show up and decide amongst yourselves when you get there. | directions |

If you can’t make it during the day, join us later (~5pm), for a pot-luck BBQ. Bring something to grill and something to share. There are grills at the park, but feel free to bring charcoal and your own grill.

Elm Creek Park Reserve has 20 miles of paved trails that also connect to Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park via the Rush Creek Regional Trail (7 miles) or Fish Lake Regional Park on the Medicine Lake Regional Trail. These trails are all in excellent condition for biking and inline skating. There are also over 30 miles of turf hiking trails and 5 miles of mountain biking trails. Pets are allowed on designated trails only (5.4 miles). Don’t forget swimwear! There’s a man-made, chlorinated, and filtered swimming pond ($2 fee) with sand beach at the area we’ll be picnicking. Bring lunch/snacks, water, sunscreen, and maybe some bug dope if hiking.

Agenda — Help us fill in the blanks!

Time	Activity	Coordinator
9:00 am	40–50-mile road bike ride, helmets are required!	TBA
	Inline skating
	Bicycling 10–20 miles
	Hiking on turf trails, prairie flowers galore!
1:00 pm	Kayaking at Rice Lake, leave from the Arboretum parking lot (Fernbrook and County Rd. 30).	Melissa H.
	Geocaching
	Mountain biking
	Disc golf. Meet at Visitor Center.
All day	Inline skating, hiking, biking volleyball, swimming, etc. (just show up!)	You!
5:00 pm	Potluck BBQ (bring something to grill and something to share)

All activities will meet near the Rovers banner on the hill overlooking the beach at the recreation area, unless noted otherwise.

*Please let us know if you are willing to be a contact person for any other activities (hiking, mountain biking, etc.).

Scott & Jodi S.  

Sunday, August 29    DAY TRIP
Skydving. Tandem Skydive! C'mon — you know you want to! Join us!
A way to experience the thrill of freefall and an exhilarating canopy ride … with only 10 minutes of instruction! Jumping from 10,000' to 13,000', you, attached to your specially trained tandem master, experience the joy of freefalling through the air for over 60 seconds! The tandem master then pulls the ripcord and both of you fly the parachute back to the dropzone for a soft, on-target landing in front of your friends and/or family.

NOTE: You MUST call Skydive Twin Cities directly 1-800-SKYDIVE to make your own reservation and credit card for deposit (and of course let one of us know you are joining us).

Picnic area with gas grills — spectators welcome! So also let us know if you want to come and hang out! Leave around 10:00 a.m. for Baldwin WI, training at 11:00 a.m., pack our own picnic lunch, return to Twin Cities around 4 p.m. Estimated cost: $230 +$95 if you want pro video & photos. Deposit: $50 non-refundable deposit — paid to Skydive Twin Cities. Max trip size: 15.

Debra will be unavailable for correspondence from July 8 – Aug 8, so please contact Rahul with questions between those dates.

Sponsoring organization: Skydive Twin Cities

Debra G. • 612-812-6905  |  Rahul D.

Friday – Monday, September 3 – 6    
Itasca Hostel Labor Day Trip. Bike, hike, and paddle at beautiful Itasca State Park over the 3-day weekend. Staying at the Hostel includes 3 nights lodging (bunk room style) and 7 meals — Sat AM-Mon AM. Take a night hike to the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi or lounge by the fire with a good book or perhaps take part in (possibly memorable) evening games. We might even have evening music by the lake/or campfire. Do not delay! This popular trip will fill up quickly. Five spots will be saved for Rovers who have joined in the past year. Must be a current member to attend overnight trips. Estimated cost: $99 +/-. Deposit: $70. Max trip size: 31.

Barb S. • 952-888-6603  |  Shelly G. • 763-757-6952

Friday – Sunday, September 10 – 12    
Camping at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. Camping, hiking, biking and paddling! Experience one of Minnesota’s last extensive stands of the “Big Woods” at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park near Northfield. I have reserved a group site from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12, 2010. People will be free to spend their time as they wish, but one option will be to bike the Jesse James Bike Tour, which travels through the lakes region of Rice County and rolling rural hills on Saturday. (Routes range from 10 to 100 miles. Register and get more information about the bike ride here.) Plan also to explore Nerstrand Big Woods, which has 11 miles of hiking trails! In addition, the Cannon River is nearby. I’m looking for someone to help coordinate a paddle.

We’ll provide a couple of Coleman stoves, some basic pots and pans, and a grill. You bring your own food, snacks, beverages, plates/utensils, lawn chair, and camping gear. Tents and sleeping bags are available from the Rovers for free, but you will need to make arrangements with the cage coordinator to reserve and pick up. Rovers membership is required for this overnight trip. Beginners are welcome, and 4 spaces will be reserved until August 20 for new members who have joined in the past year. (Joining is easy and is just $25 per year.) We’ll arrange carpooling as the trip gets closer. Deposit: $10 + food/gas/state park vehicle sticker. Max trip size: 20.

Stacey G. • 612-207-2806

Thursday – Sunday, September 16 – 19     SORRY, THIS TRIP IS FULL, WAIT LIST OPEN  
Backpacking on the Border Route Trail. Backpack this beautiful and challenging BWCA trail that we've been maintaining for years! If we're lucky, we'll see some good fall colors. Backpack 5 1/2 miles through one of the most scenic sections of this trail. Go in the Daniels Lake Acess Trail to Rose Lake and go the South Lake Trail. Alternatively, we can backpack in the more challenging Caribou Rock Trail. This trail is moderately difficult with lots of hills. This trip is for experienced backpackers only. Estimated cost: $100. Deposit: $75. Max trip size: 9.

Cheryl B. • 763-566-1197 or 612-467-3519  |  TBD

Friday – Sunday, September 24 – 26    SEMIANNUAL EVENT
Fall Extravaganza. It's all the outdoor fun we can pack into a weekend! Rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, biking, camping, star tour, great food, good friends, etc. Come check out what MN Rovers is about and try out new activities! Estimated cost: $0 - $20.

See the Special Events page for more details, agenda, and contact information.   

Friday – Monday, January 21 – 24    
Winter Camping in BWCAW. We will meet at the park and ride near Scandia Trail and 35W early on Friday morning. We travel to the Mudro Lake entry point and snowshoe/ski in as far as we can that day pulling our gear on sleds. The lakes traveled will be Mudro, Sand Pit, Tin Can Mike, and then the final expected destination will be Horse Lake which is five miles in. We will ski/snowshoe out and drive home on Monday. If time and energy permits we will even make an igloo with my Ice Box igloo maker. I will provide more information on what to bring and how to pack a sled at a future Rovers meeting. Estimated cost: Pitch in for Gas. Max trip size: 4.

Patrick E. • 612-730-8971

Monday – Saturday, January 24 – 29    
Skiing Trip to Winter Park, Colorado. Downhill, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, etc. in Winter Park, Colorado. Ski-in/ski-out and budget options available; both include RT airfare Mpls. to Denver; ground transfers to Winter Park, five nights lodging; trip pre-party, opening party, and post party; and 10-minute shuttle to downtown Winter Park, Colorado. Bulk rate downhill/XC passes extra and available by December 2010. Land only available upon request.

Budget accomodations ($560): Vintage Hotel, two per room, with a Brew Pub on the main level.Ski-in/out accomodations ($675): Zephyr Mt. Lodge, 4 per 2-bedroom/2-bath condo. Deposit must be received by June 30, 2010 for these prices. Payment Schedule: Deposit: $150 by 6/1, $250 by 9/1, balance: 11/1.

Estimated cost: $560–$675. Deposit: $150. Max trip size: 24.

Sponsoring organization: Phloatin Activities

Fred F. • 651-777-1888 (h) or 651-428-2101 (c)