Great North Woods

At first thought, it seems a bit mad to head north in the heart of winter.
Okay, seems crazy on second thought as well. Still, if one can brave the cold, few sights can match the beauty of the North Shore in January.
This was our third trip to Gunflint--our second this year and also our second in winter. Although it is a popular Summer destination, we prefer it cooler--and less crowded.

Anyone who has been to Gunflint is familiar with the welcoming committee.

In spite of the cold clear nights, we missed the Aurora Borealis (again), but did have a fantastic full moon. Note the similarity between this photo and the one we took for the "Winter Wonderland" entry exactly one lunar month ago.

In addition to skiing, we went snowshoeing for the first time.

We also did some birding in Zax-Sim Bog, which has lots of great avian life and these unusual (if somewhat gruesome) deer carcass feeders.

In the Fall, we came across a wolf while on a hike. This trip we saw several moose. They are usually quite reclusive, but the males especially seem a little less shy in winter.

It can be difficult to find someone to take your picture when you are in the wilderness, so we just had to do it ourselves.

And here's what we are looking at, Lonely Lake (that's our showshoe tracks along the left).