2016

Copper mining, relics abound
Moose, Wolves
In Michigan waters yet closer to Minnesota
Expensive access
Intermediate skill
SHT is great prep

Interested? Come by for my presentation. It is based on my trip in 2006 and research I did for a series of REI talks for the National Parks anniversary.

Presented by Jerry W.

Stretching 192 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, England’s Coast to Coast path combines stunning scenery with the charm of small British villages.

Over half of the path is in three National Parks containing incredibly scenic “fells, dales, moors, tarns, becks and gills”.  The path passes through or near 33 English villages providing the potential for a pub or tearoom along the way and a variety of lodging opportunities including camping, hostels, hotels and wonderful B & B’s.

This has become the most popular long distance hike in the U.K. with upwards of 10,000 walkers completing it annually!

The Langlands will review their recent trip and provide information on planning your own self-guided adventure on this wonderful path

By Jim and Penny Langland

A “puffer” is a bicyclist who doesn’t have an expensive bike or equipment but still enjoys taking multi-day biking trips. Having been a “puffer” since 1980, I will show photos and speak about a variety of bicycling vacations I have taken and offer tips on getting the most from them. ​Please join ​me in a conversation about what makes longer bicycling adventures a pleasure for YOU!

Presented by Doug J.

Red-headed Woodpeckers were once common across the United States and Minnesota, but in the last 50 years their population has shrunk by a disturbing 70%. Learn how nest camera technology is informing conservation efforts within Minnesota, and through photos and video get an up close look at the lives of these charismatic birds.

Presented by Brittney Y.

Dr. Mark Neuzil, who is the coauthor along with Norman Sims of Canoes: A Natural History in North America, will speak on canoes and canoeing and show images from their book. He will discuss the canoes of the First Peoples, as well as the development of wood, wood-and-canvas and synthetic canoes. Neuzil is professor of communication and journalism at the University of St. Thomas, a former summer park ranger, USFS-licensed guide, and the author or co-author of several books with environmental themes.

India’s southernmost state of Tamil Nadu is primarily a land of farm fields punctuated by hills, villages, and towns. In this agricultural land the biggest yearly event is the Pongal harvest celebration. See photos and videos of this colorful and boisterous village festival.

Presented by Ted U.

We backpacked the scenic Kibungan Circuit and camped on Mt. Pagpaya in the heart of the Cordilleras. The campsite is next to Tabaw Peak. Also we, day hiked on rice terraces that were 2,000 years old.

Presented by Mike & Nori.

Travel through the former East Germany with Rovers Beth Gauper and Torsten Muller, who bicycled along the Elbe River and Euroroute R1 between the Czech and German capitals. The route is lined with dramatic natural and historic landmarks: Saxon-Switzerland National Park; Lutherstadt Wittenberg, gearing up for next year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation; and Cold War museums, especially interesting to visit now as Europe’s far right gains traction.

Tag along on a trip to these rugged plains in Argentina and Chile, at the southern end of the Andes mountain range. Gretchen will share a snapshot of an REI trip in January with 14 other adventurers, including photos, the route traveled and lodging arrangements. Presented by Gretchen Zunkel.

Storm-proofing your camp is a mixture of choosing a good campsite, rigging your tent with storm lines before the rain (!); pitching tight tarps that won’t blow down in wind, and effectively waterproofing your gear. In this fast-paced seminar you’ll learn how to recognize and cope with campsite dangers, pick a good tent and storm-proof a bad one; pitch single and double rain tarps; waterproof your gear for rain or a capsize; sleep comfortably in chilling rain and sweltering heat, and dry wet clothes when you don’t have a campfire and the sun isn’t shining.

References: CAMPING’S TOP SECRETS, by Cliff Jacobson, and THE FORGOTTEN SKILLS video, by Cliff Jacobson. If you can do everything in the video you’ll be a big hero to your friends!

Presented by Cliff Jacobson.

Two years ago, my friend Sharon invited me to attend a talk by Cheryl Strayed about her book “Wild”. With nothing on my calendar that night I said yes, and figured I should probably read the book first. I hadn’t camped or really hiked in over 15 years. I had never backpacked, yet those pages were filled with challenge and possibility. Cheryl’s words kindled within me a love affair with wilderness trails and led me to a wonderful group of friends and kindred spirits in the Minnesota Rovers Outdoors Club. With that as a backdrop, I invite you to take in the next seven chapters of my story, from the miserable trudge through Silver Bay to the victorious finish on Oberg Mountain a year later. A word of caution though…you never know where a story might lead you!

Presented by Alison H.

From temperate Oslo in the south, to Arctic Honningsvåg in the far north, and many points in between, see some of Norway’s spectacular scenery. Also see a lot of good places to hike along the way.

Presented by Jen O. & Barry S.

Every year the Minnesota Department of Health receives reports of diarrhea illnesses among backcountry users who report drinking improperly treated surface water, including three outbreaks of giardiasis among hikers since 2013. Learn how to avoid being the next reported case of illness! This talk will provide an overview of the different types of microorganisms that can be found in backcountry water and discuss the effectiveness of various water treatment methods and lessons you can learn from previous waterborne disease outbreaks.

Presented by: STEPHANIE GRETSCH, MPH, Epidemiologist, Minnesota Department of Health – Foodborne, Waterborne, Vectorborne & Zoonotic Diseases

Are you planning a vacation outside the U.S.? Will it be done safely?

This discussion will cover how to dress, act in public, restaurant visits, hotel stays, where to sit on a bus and plane in order to minimize yourself to crime and other threatening situations.

Presented by Mark Dugger

An AT thru-hike doesn’t take any specialized outdoor skills. Over 16,000 people have done it. With the release of “Wild” and “A Walk in the Woods”, more people are trying it.

This presentation is based on observations from my 2015 AT thru hike. I claim there are six requirements you need to successfully thru-hike the AT. They are: Time, Energy, Money, Motivation, Knowledge, and a final item to be divulged last to give this presentation some suspense.

By Paul “Good Enough” Ebert

​This date is National Toasted Marshmallow Day so how can we celebrate it…hmm…how about we set up a couple of fires, get some bags of marshmallows, get some toasting sticks and start toasting! Add some chocolate and Graham crackers and we’ll have s’mores. We’ll provide the basics; you bring any little extras you think might taste good with melted marshmallows.

Jake Langeslag, The goat wrangling pondologist, will explain how he uses goats to manage some of the area’s most difficult invasive and undesirable vegetation, like buckthorn. He will also give an update on his quest to get goats working in more metro and urban areas and information on his goat grazing research. Hopefully we will have a four-legged buckthorn remover.

Effectively using a map and compass is an important, but too often neglected, wilderness skill. Whether dealing with the expected – locating the next portage, getting back to your car after collecting morels, kayaking in dense fog – or the completely unexpected, having a map and compass, and knowing how to use them can be essential. 

Robert Quinn of Midwest Mountaineering will show us basic navigation skills.

Exercise for everyone. It is aerobic, weight bearing, strength training which requires minimal equipment, no gym and almost anyone can do it. 

Learn how to identify buckthorn, the various ways to get rid of it and the best time to do it. Also learn what other invasive species are associated in areas where buckthorn is established and how to eradicate those too. And, as with anything important in life, learn why we should bother getting this out of our parks and our yards and how not to accidentally get rid of a look-a-like instead of the real bad guy!

Presented by Cheryl B.