Posts by Riley Smith
How to Chase the Northern Lights – A Short Story
Article writing can be a process for me. I usually have five or six partial articles in the queue and sometimes take long breaks from one before coming back to it again. Sometimes there are complicated graphics or illustrations to put together or lots of research to be done. Very rarely is an article reactionary…
Read MoreHow Trees Tell the Story of the BWCA
Today is the International Day of Forests which means it’s the perfect day to celebrate the trees of the BWCA. The Boundary Waters are a unique mosaic of forests born out of wildfire, windstorms, logging, and the passage of time. Despite the history of disturbance, the Boundary Waters contain the largest tracts of old growth…
Read MoreThe Evolving Food Pack – How Gear Improves Over Time
Every spring as outfitters begin gearing up for the busy summer season ahead, production begins to turn from winter dogsports back to portage packs. Alongside the new gear, a reunion of sorts takes place as old packs come back to us through the fall and into the spring as outfitters send in old gear for…
Read MoreWildlife in Wildlands – A History of BWCA Wildlife
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, and Voyageurs National Park make up the largest wild landscape in Minnesota as well as being one of the largest wild spaces east of the Mississippi in the US. Combine that with wildlands directly across the border in Quetico Provincial Park and the surrounding crownlands, and…
Read MorePress Release – Wolf Track Classic Sled Dog Race
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SUNDOG SPORT FEBRUARY 23 , 2023 SUNDOG SPORT Announces SPONSORSHIP of the 2023 WOLFTRACK CLASSIC DOG SLED RACE Located in Ely Minnesota, this annual event runs through Downtown Ely along Taconite State Trail and back to Ely. The event starts at 9 AM on Sunday, February 26, 2023 ELY,…
Read More10 Lost Routes in the BWCA
Warm weather in February is a dangerous thing. If it’s too warm, the mind starts wandering ahead to summer canoe adventures. Warm weather only intensifies the time spent pouring over maps both in remembering treasured trips past and scheming the ones to come. And for me, one of the things I’m looking for on the…
Read MoreDogs That Love Winter – From Alaskan Malamutes To Samoyeds
If you’re looking for a dog that loves the snow and cold temperatures of winter, then look no further! Winter-loving breeds like the Alaskan Malamute and Samoyed make excellent family companions, and they also excel in dog sports like sledding and skijoring. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best breeds of dogs to…
Read MoreBWCA Superlatives – Setting the Facts Straight
It all goes back to a BWCA trivia contest. That’s when it sank it anyways. I consider myself a BWCA nerd, down to the root, so maybe these things are more obvious to me. In any case, an organization that should have been experts in the topic were incorrect in the answers they provided for…
Read MoreThe Longest Dogsled Races in the World
At the end of January, the longest dog sled race in the lower 48, the Beargrease, ran up Minnesota’s north shore and culminated in an exciting finish between Keith Aili and Ryan Anderson. It’s an amazing race with a variety of trail types and terrain over the course of its more than 300 miles. But…
Read MoreA Week in January – A Winter Trip Report
The week we had looked forward to had come around again: the Week of Winter annual BWCA trip. This tradition is relatively new, last year was our first, but it seems poised to be a trip that continues annually. January is a fascinating time to take a week long BWCA trip both because winter…
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