2021

In 2018 Alison Heebsh gave a presentation to the Rovers subtitled “Making it to Day 4” about solo backpacking for a week on the Colorado Trail.  This time, Alison will tell us about her first solo backpacking trip, and the first time she struggled to make it to Day 4.  Find out how NOT to start a backpacking trip, and the satisfaction that comes with making it to the end.  Well, almost.

Alison Heebsh found the Minnesota Rovers in her quest to become a backpacker.  Over the course of a year she completed the 300 mile Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) in 7 trips.  She now coordinates Rovers backpacking trips and teaches backpacking skills to beginners, though she still loves a good solo trip.  Alison has been on the MN Rovers Board, including 3 years as president, and encourages all Rovers to take a turn serving the club as a board member.

Most people who visit Isle Royale stay on the main hiking trails. While there is much to see along the trails, there are many features and much history of the island which are not accessible from the trails. There are historic fishing camps which date back to the 1800’s, four lighthouses, remote islands and exposed rock which show the Island’s geologic history. There is even an arch high above Lake Superior which was carved by the waves of an ancient lake.

I have visited Isle Royale six times as a sea kayaker. Three times we circumnavigated the island; most recently we paddled over from the Minnesota shore. There are still many things for me to see so I will be back.

Henry Davies has been paddling most of his life, including multi-day trips in Pukaskwa, Isle Royale, Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Beaver Island Archipelago, Lake Superior Provincial Park and the “Grand Traverse” between the UP of Michigan and Door County Wisconsin.

Henry is a sea kayak guide in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, an ACA Coastal Kayak instructor, and has been teaching sea kayaking in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota for over 15 years. His passion is using a Greenland paddle and kayak to visit remote places in the Great Lakes.

Dave decided to take a couple of weeks off in between jobs this past July, and a fellow Rover recommended that he bike the Oregon coast. Having done plenty of backpacking but only one weekend bike tour, he figured this would be a challenge, but doable. He had 2 weeks to shape the trip from an idea to hopping on a plane. Join Dave on his ride down 370 miles of US 101!

Dave has always loved the freedom of exploring his world on two wheels – from short rides growing up in Afton to cycling all over the Twin Cities and beyond. He joined MN Rovers in 2019, which ignited his love of backpacking. The weekly bike rides in 2020 helped him get more connected with Rovers (and maintain his sanity), and inspired him to combine his two favorite activities through bike touring. Dave has also been the Rover Trips Director for 2021.

Wolves are considered a premier example of how large predators can transform ecosystems, with some suggesting that wolves, through the process of trophic cascades, can literally change the course of rivers and streams. However, whether wolves change ecosystems as drastically as suggested has been increasingly questioned and criticized. In many boreal ecosystems, beavers dam up rivers and streams to create ponds and wetlands, and wolves frequently prey on these dam-building, pond-creating rodents. By studying wolf-beaver interactions in northern Minnesota, Tom Gable and the Voyageurs Wolf Project have demonstrated how wolves, by preying on beavers, alter wetland creation, and in turn, impact streams and rivers.

Tom is the project lead for the Voyageurs Wolf Project and he recently completed his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. He has been studying wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem since 2014 when he started his Master’s at Northern Michigan University. Gable is particularly fascinated by wolf-beaver interactions and his graduate work was focused on trying to understand this predator-prey dynamic.

Scott Oeth, owner of and head guide at Bull Moose Patrol (www.Bullmoosepatrol.com), will share his best tips and techniques to help you survive and thrive during Winter’s worst. Cold feet no more! Learn how to dress for arctic conditions, the advantages of various shelter systems, how to keep your body’s furnace running hot, gear tips, and many other Winter camping and survival skills. By the end of this discussion, you’ll be ready to sleep under the stars on even the coldest of Minnesota’s Winter nights!

Scott Oeth, grew up spending countless hours exploring the forest out his backdoor and enjoying the outdoors with his family. Today, he enjoys guiding others and teaching outdoor skills. Scott has a particular passion for the skills of the north woods, including canoe camping, winter camping, wilderness survival and bushcraft skills.

Scott, an Eagle Scout, has had a lifelong involvement in Scouts, including volunteering as a national high adventure base instructor. Scott is a Registered Maine Guide, has been trained as a Minnesota Master Naturalist, a Wilderness First Responder, a wilderness survival instructor, and has attended numerous wilderness and survival skills instruction courses. He founded Bull Moose Patrol with his wife, Linda Hardin, in 2014.

When he’s not on the trail, Scott is busy as a Certified Financial Planner, and has spent a lot of time on the volleyball court, earning USAV and AAU All-American honors.

Lee Radzak was the historic site manager at Split Rock Lighthouse and lived in one of the keeper’s homes with his family for 36 years.  In addition to his job, he was also active in the North Shore community,   He served as a board member and as president of the Gitchi-Gami Trail Association and the Lake County Historical Society, was active in the early development of the Superior Hiking Trail, and served on the North Shore Scenic Drive and the Superior National Forest Scenic Byway councils.  Lee will talk about what is was like to work at the busiest   historic site in Minnesota and to experience the seasons from an exposed clifftop above Lake Superior.

Lee began his career with the Minnesota Historical Society in 1976 as an archaeologist working throughout the state on the Minnesota Statewide Archaeological Survey.   He met his wife, Jane, in 1980 while working in Kandiyohi County and they were married in 1982.    Three months later he took the position of historic site manager at Split Rock Lighthouse.  Part of the requirements of the position were to live on site in one of the historic lighthouse keeper’s dwellings where he and Jane raised two children and lived for 36 years, until his retirement in 2019.  Upon his retirement the Minnesota Historical Society Press asked him to write a book about his experiences at Split Rock, which was published last May.

Two years ago, Alison Young (aka Blissful Hiker) made a last-minute decision to walk the entire PCT from North to South after she lost her job. Trail Angels, decent weather and practically zero natural hazards (like wildfire) as well as just the right amount of solitude and togetherness made for one of the most thrilling and doable thru-hikes. Join her for pictures, stories and ideas for your next hike

Alison Young is the Blissful Hiker. She has backpacked and hiked all over the world. Alison wowed us in 2020 with her tales of hiking the length of New Zealand’s Te Araroa, then within the same year hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. She recently hiked the Continental Divide Trail earlier this year and the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland.

It’s highly satisfying to cycle across an entire nation. Cycling the length of the UK is highly doable in a month or less. Travel with Tom and his daughter (without the wind, rain and hills) on our 1100-mile journey through city, village and country across Britain, Wales and Scotland. The route sampled the history, prehistory, topography, culture, food and weather of this island. If there’s interest, he will touch upon equipment, routing, lodging and other logistics.

Biography
In the mid-1980s a friend’s passing comment about a bike tour in the Wisconsin Dells piqued Rover Tom Yuska’s interest in cycle touring. Every year since, Tom has completed a self-supported bike tour. Some, like a journey across the US, were for the challenge. Others celebrated important life events like marriage and a high school graduation. Tom works as the Director of Youth Development for the nonprofit FamilyMeans. Within that role he created a summer youth bicycle program, teaching kids bike repair and leading them on bike rides that built their fitness and introduced them to natural, cultural and community attractions, along with many Dairy Queens!

Karen Klein has been a Rover since 2017. She has served on the Board for three years. Currently, she is Membership Director. She enjoys hiking, backpacking, biking, cross country skiing and her RV.

When she retired, Karen decided to see the country by volunteering at different National Parks. She will talk about her 2021 work at Arches National Park and exploring the area on her days off. She will also discuss how you too can volunteer at federal agencies all across the country.

Join us for a discussion about the unparalleled adventures beneath the waves of Lake Superior. Wally Peterson, owner of Thunder Country Diving, will tell tales of historical shipwrecks that provide a window into to our past and the freshwater species that inhabit them. Scuba diving enables curious adventurers to see these wonders of the underwater world up close and in person! Adventure doesn’t stop with scuba diving at Thunder County Diving, learn more about upcoming tours in 2022.

Wally Peterson has owned and operated Thunder Country Diving for 45 years, providing scuba diving lessons, charters, and fun events for all levels of divers. Sharing his wealth of knowledge with many, he continues to dive locally and abroad introducing many to the vast opportunities that scuba diving offers. Not only is he passionate about scuba diving, he contributes to local tourism initiatives through the Lakehead Transportation Museum Society but bring history to life on the shorelines of Thunder Bay.

Fire regimes in northern Minnesota create a mosaic of different forest types on the landscape. We will examine how fire behavior creates these patterns, interaction of fire with other disturbances such as windstorms, and climate change impacts on the disturbance regime.

Lee E. Frelich, PhD, is Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology.  H has authored more than 195 publications with 285 coauthors from 25 countries and is listed among the top 1% of all scientists in the world in the Ecology and Environment category by the Web of Science. Frelich has provided consulting services on forest management for the U.S. Army, Air Force, National Forest Service, and National Park Service. Current research interests include large-scale fire and wind, earthworm invasion, and climate change in temperate and boreal forests.

From wildlife and geology to tranquility, inspiration and dedicated conservation, the Baja California peninsula of Mexico and the Sea of Cortez form a thousand mile long yin-yang of mountainous desert and sea, bringing together seeming opposites in a rich interconnected web.

After capsizing an open canoe in the Pacific Ocean surf, Ginni Callahan was introduced to sea kayaking and spent the following 2 decades realizing how it offered what she was looking for: a way to get into nature, play in the waves, travel to islands, be with friends, and a context for making a positive impact on the planet. Her company Sea Kayak Baja Mexico is passionately involved in local conservation and community development.

Migration lasts for months in Minnesota. This presentation will give you an idea of what to expect when and some of the best areas to hit for birds whether you are hiking or biking.

Sharon Stiteler is a writer and park ranger based in the Twin Cities metro area. She has written three books and appears regularly on tv and radio at “The Birdchick” answering your wild bird questions. Last yea r, Sharon\wowed us with her information about  birding and birding apps. She is back for an encore presentation.

We have all struggled with finding the right footwear for our outdoor activities. Do you want a trail runner or a day hiker or a walking shoe? Tom will share a little about the history of footwear, materials and types of outdoor footwear, and solutions for certain types of footwear issues.

Our presenter, Tom Bloom, is currently employed at REI as as a footwear sales specialist. He has spent his career in sporting goods with a speciality in footwear as a manager and sales specialist for independent stores and national chains. He has also backpacked and hiked Superior Hiking Trail, Isle Royals, Black Hills, Pictured Rocks, Rocky Mountain National Park, Appalachian Trail, Rainier, Blue Ridge Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion , the Galápagos Islands and Machu Picchu.

What organization have Minnesota Rovers volunteered for year after year?

Free Bikes 4 Kidz, of course!

FB4K has been a go-to conservation trip for many years. Learn how this non-profit collects, refurbishes, and distributes thousands of bikes for years to kids in need (and during the pandemic, health care workers!)

Find out how you can join in the fun whether by yourself, with family, or with a (small) group. There’s opportunity for everyone at Free Bikes 4 Kidz!

Presentation by Audrey and Mel

Southeastern Minnesota is honeycombed with underground rivers. Michael Raymond will tell the story of his team’s multi-year exploration of one of these rivers. Through scuba diving and climbing, they have discovered almost a mile of never seen before river canyon.

This presentation should not be missed. It will not be recorded so come to the Zoom meeting to see this newly discovered river canyon by an amazing presenter!

Michael Raymond has been scuba diving for almost a decade. Along the way he got interested in caving, and has used scuba diving to explore Minnesota’s caves. He is the editor of the sump rescue manual and is a previous scuba coordinator for the National Cave Rescue Commission. He is the assistant editor of Underwater Speleology newsletter, and the Small Party Assisted Rescue manual. He is active with the Boy Scouts, his church, and the Minnesota Army National Guard.

This virtual Intro Show (via Zoom) is all about Rovers: Who we are, what activities we do, all the ways in which we play outside. There will be a fun video, showcasing many of the activities that Rovers enjoy. Afterward, participants will have an opportunity to go into breakout rooms with Rovers who participate in specific activities, everything from backpacking to paddling to hiking to climbing to biking, and any other outdoor activity you can imagine. This is your chance to ask questions, get to know Rovers who love the same activities you love or maybe who mentor new members in activities that you want to try.

This will be a Zoom presentation.

We’ll look at what causes the aurora, where to see it and how to anticipate its arrival. Of course, I’ll share lots of beautiful images!

Bob King fell in love with the night sky and astronomy when he was a kid growing up in Illinois and loves to share his passion with people of all ages. Bob worked as a photojournalist and photo editor at the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune for 39 years before retiring from the paper in 2018. These days, when he’s not chasing comets and the northern lights, Bob writes for Sky & Telescope’s website and magazine and maintains the Astro Bob astronomy blog. He’s taught community education astronomy classes at the University of Minnesota-Duluth planetarium for many years.

His books Night Sky with the Naked Eye and Wonders of the Night Sky You Must See Before You Die describe the joys of skywatching, while Urban Legends of Space, examines science vs. pseudoscience in astronomy.

Do you have camping gear that you once loved but no longer use? Do you need gear and want to get some good used stuff at a decent price?  This is the Rovers Gear Swap. The pandemic has meant that we have not had one in 2 years. Now is your chance to clear out that old tent to make room for a new one or to get your hands on a decent used sleeping bag at a good price. Load up your old stuff, bring a tarp to spread it out, decide some prices, and bring it all to Como. If you don’t have stuff to sell, come to Como and browse everyone else’s stuff. Show up early for the best deals.

People bring lots of items, like cook sets, tie-down straps, stoves, tents, hammocks, boats, bikes, coolers, backpacks, clothing, skis, etc.

If minor mechanical issues are keeping you from riding your bike; bring it to Rovers on August 17th. Our dedicated crew of amateur cycling enthusiasts will help diagnose the problem and get you back on the road. If your bike needs parts replaced, bring the parts.

“The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called yourself.”
— Robert M. Pirsig,
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values