All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

John Beargrease Sled Dog Race

Year 6

Everyone needs a tune-up for Alaska’s Iditarod which describes itself as the Last Great Race on Earth (official site / Wikipedia). Northern Minnesota’s John Beargrease Sled Dog Race is such a “tune-up” activity. The mushers race 300 miles along Lake Superior’s North Shore hills. Temperatures will fall to over -30F before the race completes on Wednesday at Grand Portage.

Yesterday afternoon, Molly and I took our youngest son and his wife out for an afternoon at the races. I had picked a spot in the woods … French River Crossing. The cascading bridge allows a better view of the dog teams. The weather was perfect … sunny and -9F. We had a great time. Now it’s on to the Arrowhead 135 … humans racing through the northern Minnesota wilderness … quite the ultra marathon as the same weather conditions apply.

Sled Dog Team #7

Sled Dog Team #5

Sled Dog Team #9 (my wife and son may be seen cheering)

Sled Dog Team #12

Sled Dog Team #101 (not doing full marathon … smaller dog team)

Northland Life at -20F (-29C)

Year 6

It is -21F at 6:15 am as I type out this post. My yard birds, Mr. and Mrs. Great Horned Owls are hooting out their love. They will soon nest. While many of you may think life stops at temperatures this cold, we Northlanders take it all in stride, but make minor adjustments. Lake Superior is freezing over on the Duluth end of the big lake, and when the ice sheet forms completely Duluth will stop being an island of warmth (-38 in the Bog right now). For instance … yesterday I still took a workout and went Nordic skiing. However I waited till the mercury rose to -4F before skiing. My workout clothes had an extra layer of thermal protection.

This week I will be covering two fantastic area sporting events. Even I wonder how the participants survive their races. Today I will photograph the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race, which will see the mushers and dogs race up the shore from Duluth to Grand Portage. Monday and Tuesday I will be covering the Arrowhead 135 for the Lake Country Journal. These hardy athletes race 135 miles in an ultra marathon from International Falls to Vermilion Lake. Both races keep the participants out on the courses over night … at -40F (-40C). I get to sleep in a motel room and venture out at times to various spots in the forest to take photographs. Uff dah!

Oh yes, I still go birding at these temperatures, but I sometimes wait till it warms up a touch. My friend, Greg, and I drove over to Sax-Zim Bog on Friday afternoon. I wanted to introduce Greg to Fluffy! We also saw some some cool birds, among others our sightings included the Northern Hawk Owl, this Ruffed Grouse and Boreal Chickadee. The real question most people should want to answer … Do Boreal Chickadees prefer Jif or Skippy Peanut Butter?!

Another image of Fluffy!

Rabbits Beware! Snowy and Fluffy are Looking for You!

Year 6,

It was a great day in Sax-Zim Bog. While I had not been planning on making the 60 minute drive over to the Bog, when I reviewed the weather forecast and saw the mercury would be dipping down towards the -25F mark for the next week, and yesterday was a balmy 12F with no wind, I was Bog bound. Like all mornings I refilled my own bird feeders first … scaring aware the rabbit featured at the end of the post. Two weeks ago, I was scaring off three rabbits every morning, now only one. I suspect some of my bunnies may have fallen prey to my two yard birds (Mr. and Mrs. Great Horned Owl).

The rabbits in the bog have an equally difficult task, and I found two hunters yesterday afternoon … Fluffy the Bobcat and a Snowy Owl. First I had a private experience watching this Snowy Owl hunt. Most folks when they visit Sax-Zim Bog want to find Great Gray Owls, but for me having a private hunt with a Snowy Owl in a natural location was truly special.

After watching Snowy hunt, I met Fluffy! Do not mess with this Bobcat! 

Finally, while both hunters will take other prey, rabbits are a perfectly good meal!
(photograph taken through the window at 6 am … in the dark under flood lights)