Archives for December 2016

@mattyvanbiene and @arborealis joined us three times during our #wildernessyear to @savethebwca to film #BearWitness which was produced by @ducttapethenbeer . @arborealis took this photo as @mattyvanbiene captured the underwater footage used in the opening scene. Matty was wore Amy’s drysuit to protect himself from the cold water. Follow the link in our bio to watch the film, sign the petition, and help us share #BearWitness far and wide! http://ift.tt/2iE9cvJ

Donnie Falconer drew this picture to explain how Santa found us in the #wilderness during our #wildernessyear to @savethebwca ! Happy Holidays! #savethebwca

We find ourselves thinking about spending the holidays in the #boundarywaters during our #wildernessyear to @savethebwca .

Fun to hit the slopes with family over the holidays. Yesterday was my first time snowboarding in over 15 years, it was great to get back out on the mountain and Amy’s first time skiing outside the midwest. In case you are wondering I am a little stiff after following my niece and nephews around the mountain all day, Amy seems unfazed by yesterday’s 17,000 plus vertical.

The dogsledding season at @wintergreendogsledlodge is in full swing! Amy and I are having fun with our family in #jacksonhole but we are looking forward to working with the leading more #hannycerny adventures next week. This photo was from my last trip with @hannycerny .

Good morning Tetons!

This morning, guided by science and public opinion, federal agencies charged with stewardship of taxpayer-owned public lands denied the renewal of two mineral leases adjacent to Minnesota’s iconic Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and upstream of Voyageurs National Park. The decision halts the proposed Twin Metals sulfide-ore copper mine project from destroying the clean waters of America’s most popular wilderness area – a prime hunting, fishing and recreation destination that helps support 17,000 jobs and drive $850 million in economic activity annually. This is a major victory for the Boundary Waters and stopping the renewal of these leases was one of the main goals of our #wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA .
In addition, federal land managers announced they will begin a comprehensive environmental review to determine whether the watershed of the BWCA is the wrong place for sulfide-ore copper mining and should be removed from the federal mining program altogether. Numerous scientific studies show the dramatic risk such a mine would pose to the water-intensive, ecologically sensitive wilderness of the Boundary Waters.

Great news today. But still more work to do. Follow the link in our bio to join us & urge MN Senators @SenFranken & @AmyKlobuchar to #savethebwca

During our #wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA we were waiting for the lakes to freeze. This year the lakes are frozen, we are busy training 70 energetic sled dogs as we prepare for another great season leading dogsled trips at @
wintergreendogsledlodge . It has been cold and there is more cold on the way! The ice is getting thinker by the day and we are excited to have a real winter after last winters mild temps and marginal ice.

We love the cold and as long as we are dressed in @wintergreenely anoraks and shell pants its easy to stay warm and dry.

The mercury is dropping and the lakes are skimming over with ice. Winter will soon grip the Wilderness. We have been skiing on groomed trails for several weeks, but soon the lakes will be covered in ice and we will be free to roam the Boundary Waters once more.

Last year during our #Wildernessyear to @savetheBWCA we were camped on Ensign Lake waiting for the ice to become thick enough for us to safely travel across. We must always speak loudly for quiet places like the Boundary Waters and keep Wilderness in our hearts, minds, and voices no matter where we roam.

Today Amy and I went skiing at Hidden Valley outside Ely. The trees were coated in white snow and we had the freshly groomed trails to ourselves. It was silent as we glided through the forest other than the sounds of my heavy breathing as I lumbered up the steep hills and the wind whistling past as I shot down the other side.
I was reminded of this magical day last winter when we skied across Snowbank Lake in a blizzard. At times it was like skiing inside a giant ping pong ball because everything was white around us. The snow was soft and sticky like today and it made me miss being out in the Wilderness surrounded by silence. We must remember to speak loudly for quite places like the Boundary Waters. #savetheBWCA #wildernessyear #snow #winter #onlyinMN #natgeoadventure #yourshot #boundarywaters #bwca