2022

Join the authors of Hut to Hut USA: A Complete Guide for HIkers, Bikers, and Skiers (Mountaineers Books, 2021) and plan a hut trip!

What is a hut, anyway? Where are the US opportunities to ski, hike, or bike through wild places, taking overnight shelter in comfortable huts?  Laurel and Sam traveled almost 600 trail miles researching the book which presents sixteen hut systems from Alaska to New England, the west coast to the upper Midwest. They will engage the audience in imagining a few sample trips, share stories of their adventures, and invite broader musings on huts and hut-to-hut travel.

Laurel Bradley, an avid hiker and retired art curator, has trekked hut-to-hut worldwide with fellow nature lover Sam Demas, retired librarian, whose website hut2hut.info is an important repository of information about huts and hut-to-hut travel. Sam and Laurel live in Northfield, MN.

August 2 to September 15, 2021, Kathy and Tony Mommsen biked and canoed halfway around the perimeter of Minnesota. St Croix Falls, Wisconsin clockwise to International Falls, MN. They traveled either by canoeing with bikes loaded in the canoe or biking while pulling the canoe behind the bikes. For this trip they dedicated themselves to do one watercolor sketch each day. Next summer they plan on finishing the trip. 

Bio: Kathy and Tony have been married for a long, long time. They have always done outdoor stuff including a BWCA trip every year, cross country skiing in the Midwest and the mountains, and a few bike tours in Europe, Pacific NW, California, and New Mexico. With each trip they ask themselves “how do we make our day-to-day lives feel as relaxed as our trips?

Minnesota’s climate is famous for its ups, downs, and extremes, but is also experiencing changes unlike anything we have observed previously. This presentation breaks down observed trends in Minnesota’s climate Minnesota to its essential points, particularly emphasizing the ongoing changes in the quantity, timing, and intensity of precipitation, and the rapid rate of winter warming. We will also discuss other important elements of our climate, and will peer into the future to see what lies ahead, according to the best available science.

Bio: Dr. Kenneth (“Kenny”) Blumenfeld is a climate scientist who grew up in Minnesota with a love for storms, blizzards, and being outside. He works for the Minnesota State Climatology Office (Department of Natural Resources), where he provides the state’s agencies, communities, and citizens with up-to-date scientific information about Minnesota’s changing and variable climate. Kenny enjoys talking to Minnesotans about their weather, and often does it long after the workday is done.

Barry and Jen have been to the Grand Canyon multiple times and will talk about different trip options. From the most simple: drive to Grand Canyon and hike along the rim, to the most challenging: traveling to the north rim and hiking through the canyon to the south rim over 5-days.

Come and see photos of the different areas and learn about the preparation, logistics, challenges, and best time for trips.

Chuck Smith will be giving a presentation on February 22, about a recent sailing trip from St Joseph, through the straits of Mackinac, to home on Lake St Clair. 19 days, 700 some odd miles, 2 people, 1 hound dog, all on a new (to them) 30′ boat. Learn assorted sailing terms- to a sailor, “Cruising” means “fixing one’s boat in exotic places”. Boats! Air planes! Shipwrecks! Lighthouses!  Even some sailing!  

In Mid-June, 2010, three Rovers kayaked and camped along the first 77 miles of the Mississippi River. Barry, Melissa & Jen paddled for 5 days through narrow meandering parts of the Mississippi, over a dam, through Lake Bemidji and to the most Northern point of the river. They had to change the trip a bit due to the most tornadoes in a single day in Minnesota history. Jen will walk you through the adventure.

 

Jen has been a Rover since 2007, including 10 years on the Board. She enjoys camping, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking and playing pickleball. She enjoys being part of Rovers and meeting new people at every event.

Come hear about backcountry skiing and Superior Highland Backcountry, a non-profit whose mission is to preserve and expand backcountry skiing opportunities along the highlands of Lake Superior. Learn about how to try backcountry skiing yourself.

Rory Scoles has been living and skiing in the Superior Highlands for the past fifteen years. He co-owns and operates the ski pro shop Lutsen Recreation, in Lutsen, and is the founder of Superior Highland Backcountry.

The island of Kauai is a place of beauty and extremes. It is known as the Garden Island for good reason, but it can be equally harsh. Perhaps the best known example of this is the Kalalau Trail, which runs 11 miles along the iconic Na Pali Coast. In 2021, we took our chances with covid lockdowns, landslides, the worst permitting system imaginable and set out on what is often mentioned among the most dangerous hikes in the world. Take a break from the depths of winter and joins us in the tropics.

Tom and Kristin have spent the pandemic constantly searching for the answer to “what’s the next adventure?” To that end, they’ve been bicycling, hiking and paddling their way across Hawaii, Yellowstone, and four National Parks in a single week.

David Byrne and his family traveled to Argentina to attend a wedding and wanted to do something else more adventurous while they were there. They chose to hike four-days on the Cajón del Azul Circuit in El Bolson. David traveled with his wife, Julie Retka, and two of his three children: Miranda (35) and Devlin (32)

David Byrne, Rovers Equipment Director; Joined Rovers: 1998;  Favorite Activities: Bicycling, XC skiing, paddling, building igloos;

All-time favorite trip: reCycling the World with Julie

When Rovers brought Rob out to the Black Hills to climb in the mid 90’s the experience so enthralled him that he wanted to give the same experience to others. So he & Lori re-created an annual trip to the Black Hills for climbing at first, then expanding to all activities the area has to offer (biking, hiking, caving…).

They coordinated the trips each year in September for at least 11 years and have had hundreds of participants over the years. This presentation is an amalgamation of several of those trips (less photos lost with lost phones).

Rob and Lori have been Rover members for several years and both became involved with the group after an invitation to Rock Climb with the Rovers. A majority of their outdoor activities are with Rovers and include Kayaking, Canoeing, XC Skiing, Hiking and pretty much everything outdoors. Climbing has remained their passion throughout.

Lanzarote, the most northern and easternmost of the Canary Islands, is located approximately 80 miles off the north coast of Africa. Hear about bicycling this windy, volcanic island, home to many vineyards where farmers have perfected a method for planting and protecting their vines amidst low, curved walls, and learn of one of the island’s residents whose legacy had a major influence on local art, architecture, culture, and planning regulations.

Liz Walton dabbles in lots of activities, but especially enjoys bicycling, gardening, and travel.  She’s always open to combining favorite activities, when possible, which was the case for her trip to Lanzarote.  Liz is a two-time Rover. She was a member for a year or two in the late 1970s and rejoined in 2020 just in time to attend the last in-person meeting before the COVID shutdown.  She looks forward to attending in-person meetings when they start again.

Paul Schurke is the founder/director of Wintergreen Dogsledding. Him and his team are dedicated professionals, most of whom have been apart of the business for many years. Paul’s schedule allows him to spend time with most Wintergreen groups and he is often able to share an evening of stories about his arctic expeditions. He is the lead instructor on most of the advanced dogsled camping trips and all of the arctic programs. Paul received the Explorers Award from the International Center for Exploration, the “Adventurer of the Year” award from Outside Magazine and the Environmental Hero Award from the National Wilderness Society.