Images from the 12th Annual 2010 Conquer the Dog triathlon in Kaministiquia Ontario. The triathlon consists of a 5 km canoe/kayak paddle on the Dog River, 18 km cycle along the river and a 5 km run on the scenic country backroads.

This year’s event saw over 100 participants. Temperate weather made for fast times and smiling faces.

More photos here -http://www.flickr.com/photos/11083672@N02/sets/72157624657865777/

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More photos of the 2010 Ten Mile Road Race here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11083672@N02/

Hiking the Superior Hiking Trail
by Jon Heller

Growing up I caught the travel bug early, my family went on at least one major trip a year, places like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Idaho always filled my need for adventure. After graduating from high school and photography school in Montana I started to look for destinations could that satisfy my travel and photography bug while staying closer to my home in Bemidji, MN. My first trip to the “north shore” area was to Gooseberry Falls State Park north of Duluth to photograph the fall colors, it was on this trip that I found the Superior Hiking Trail.

Exploring the scattered remains of Michipicoten Island
by Conor Mihell

There’s a point in every long crossing of open water by sea kayak when the destination seems to shrink in the distance and become unattainable. On the 20-kilometre-long passage to Michipicoten Island, this happens just after the midway point. Far from the safety of shore, I feel as though I’m paddling into the oblivion. My thoughts wander to the Ojibwa legend of a wintertime hunting party who watched the island disappear on a crossing of their own. Reverie becomes reality—with the added pressure of keeping pace with a speed-crazed, hot pink helmet-wearing paddling buddy. The red-trimmed tower of the island’s East End Lighthouse isn’t getting any closer. Worse yet, I come to the delusional conclusion that Craig’s pink helmet and windmilling arms are also becoming increasingly distant.

Geological Delights in the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area
By Kas Stone

Bedazzled by basalt? Okay, I’ll admit that a basalt column doesn’t have quite the same cute, cuddly appeal as the otter that snuffled at us from the cove beside our campsite.  And perhaps it lacks the majestic wilderness appeal of the young bald eagle that surveyed our progress from his cliff top perch high above our canoe. But for a basalt column, it was absolutely stunning!  And for a rockhound like me, it was just one of the many geological delights that left me bug-eyed during our early spring paddling holiday in the new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

READ THE WHOLE STORY IN THE SUMMER 2009 ISSUE OF SUPERIOR OUTDOORS.

Bayfield, Wisconsin’s 8th annual “Bayfield in Bloom” spring celebration is set for May 14 through June 13, 2010. Numerous activities are offered during this promotion, many focusing on gardening and outdoor adventure, amongst the beautiful scenery found in Bayfield, WI. And what perfect timing, as the orchards overflow with blooming apple and cherry blossoms and native wildflowers decorate the roadways and forests.

The kickoff event for this month-long celebration features Larry Meiller, Wisconsin Public Radio’s gardening show host broadcasting “Garden Talk” live at the Bayfield Pavilion on Friday, May 14th, from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm. As a special addition this year, WPR will also be broadcasting Jean Feraca’s “Here on Earth” Show from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm, showcasing interviews with local food celebrities and the use of local produce and fish in their menus, at the pavilion on the same day. Feraca will appear later in the day at the Wild Rice Restaurant with a book reading and signing of her memoirs, “I Hear Voices - A Memoir of Love, Death, and the Radio,” starting at 5:00 pm. These events are free and open to the public.

In conjunction with the live broadcasts, visitors will enjoy a “Bayfield in Bloom Garden Expo”from 9:30 am - 11:00 am and 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm at the Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion. A number of gardening experts will be present to answer questions and share their skills, and a variety of local garden-themed products will be available for purchase.

Ongoing events throughout Bayfield in Bloom include perennial plant sales at Hauser’s Superior View Farm and Blue Vista Farm,Madeline Island Ferry trips, Cruises of the Apostle Islands andBayfield Heritage Walking Tours. Visitors to Bayfield will also enjoy the 29th Annual Apple Blossom Run on Saturday, May 22nd, Bayfield Garden Tours on Saturday, June 5th, and theBlessing of the Fleet ecumenical service and ceremony on Sunday, June 13th.

THUNDER BAY, ON, May 17, 2010 – Parks Canada invites members of the public to open houses to contribute to the development of an interim management plan for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area. Four open houses will take place in communities along the north shore of Lake Superior at the following times and locations:

Terrace Bay Curling Club – Monday, May 31 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Rossport Community Hall – Tuesday, June 1 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Nipigon Community Centre – Wednesday, June 2 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Thunder Bay Travelodge Hotel Airlane – Thursday, June 3 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The public will be asked to share their vision for the marine conservation area as well as their thoughts on the themes and zoning of the area. At the open houses, Parks Canada staff and members of the Interim Management Advisory Board will be available to answer questions and provide information on the interim management planning process.

More information, including a draft vision, themes, and zoning for the marine conservation area, and the opportunity to comment are available at www.parkscanada.gc.ca

Parks Canada manages national marine conservation areas to ensure their ecological sustainability and to provide opportunities for appreciation and enjoyment of our marine heritage. Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, at more than 10,000 square kilometres, is the largest freshwater marine protected area in the world. Its boundaries extend from Thunder Cape at the tip of the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in the west, to Bottle Point just east of Terrace Bay, and south to the Canada-U.S. boundary.

June 3-6, 2010
North House Folk School

After an extended season defined by white snow, frozen water and deep cold, spring and early summer surge forward in the North, launching the region into months of dynamic growth and reproduction.  Welcome to the season of the Boreal Birding & Northern Landscapes Festival.

Discovering the birds, wildflowers, geology and more of this dynamic and rich northern landscape is the focus of the Boreal Birding & Northern Landscape Festival.   A series of inter-related, field-focused courses (1-3 days in length) form the backbone of the event, complimented by featured presentations and programs.

http://northhouse.org/programs/events/birdingfestival.htm

Will the Great Lakes states keep pace?

Toronto – On Tuesday, the Ontario government tabled Bill 72, the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act. This bill sets the legal groundwork for Ontario to implement and regulate its commitments under the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Resources Agreement, going beyond the baseline conservation requirements.

“When Great Lakes lawmakers shut the door to diversions, they also committed to addressing our own wasteful water use. With this bill Ontario steps ahead of the pack by legislating a conservation mandate,” said Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes United. “The real question is whether the Great Lakes states will keep pace.”

Pumping and treating water is a huge public expense that in Ontario can reach $80 million per month. Using less water lowers operating costs, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and defers costly infrastructure expansion – often in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The benefits to the environment and ratepayers are clear.

If passed, The Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act will encourage the creation and export of clean water technology, promote water conservation, attract economic development and create jobs.

Whereas some Great Lakes States such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana are focussing all discussion on voluntary conservation measures, and others such as Illinois are likely to depend on existing regulations and programs, the province of Ontario is legislating change with the eye to export Ontario skills and technologies in the water conservation and treatment sector.

In Michigan, an Advisory Council was set up that recommended conservation goals and targets but the Council was disbanded before any public consultation on conservation took place, and the effort is now stalled. It’s much the same in Minnesota.

In Wisconsin the general approach is for voluntary conservation targets, while in cases of larger withdrawals and diversions the DNR is drafting rules on mandatory conservation measures. Waukesha has been a focal point in the state, having long sought access to Great Lakes water. But earlier this week Mayor Jeff Scrima balked at the $160 million price tag to purchase water from Milwaukee, Racine or Oak Creek. Instead, the mayor indicated city council would now consider improved treatment of local sources.

Ontario is retooling its economy to save taxpayers money and garner access to global water conservation and treatment markets valued at over $400 billion, and doubling every five to six years.

The province signalled its intention to pass the act in the Speech from the Throne earlier this year. Since that time, Great Lakes United has joined forces with other environmental and conservation groups, green businesses, labour representatives, and citizens to form the Ontario Water Conservation Alliance, in an effort to ensure Ontario implements the strongest conservation plan possible.

“Ontario is recognizing that when we reduce our water use, we use less energy pumping treating, and heating water, we lower our greenhouse gas emissions, and we reduce the burden on an overwhelmed and aging sewer system that annually leaks billions of gallons of untreated sewage,” said Stack, adding: “Laggard states should take note. The Ontario bill shows that the province believes conservation is not only possible, it is profitable.”

Visit www.conserveourwater.ca for more information.