Skis, Please: “This has been the best start to a season in several years,” Lutsen Mountains’ Marketing Director Jim Vick said in a recent press release. “With more than a foot of snowfall in November and consistently cold temperatures for snowmaking, the crew is well ahead of target in laying down a base on Lutsen’s 95 runs. For snow lovers, winter wonderland in November is pure joy.” Lutsen Mountains is not the only regional ski hill to be pleased with early snows and snappy temperatures. By today, most of the major ski hills around the Lake will have opened for the season. To check out the many splendid hills, link to our listings.
More Snow-Happy Movers & Shakers: Amsoil Snocross National kicks off the snocross season today through Sunday at Spirit Mountain in Duluth. The high-flying action draws hundreds of competitors and tens of thousands of spectators every year as the first event in the championship season. Racers reach speeds of 60 mph and fly as far as 100 feet on their jumps. The online snocross program features race lingo like “Whoops” (a section of race track with a series of small bumps or jumps) and “Cased” (when a snocross sled lands so hard that the shocks bottom out and the engine case hits the snow). The Duluth ski hill will also feature its usual skiing and snowboarding options.
Amazing Mapping: An impressive collection of historic Great Lakes charts can now be downloaded thanks to the gathering and digitizing of 76 maps from the U.S Lake Survey in the 1800s. (This chart of L’Anse and Keweenaw Bay, Michigan, is from 1866.) Wisconsin Sea Grant and the Wisconsin Water Library with help from the UW Digital Collections Center created the valuable online resource.
Body Recovered: The body of one of the two people swept by massive waves into Lake Superior at Marquette’s Black Rocks during an Oct. 24 storm has been recovered, reports TV6 FoxUP. The body of Robert Anderson, 53, of Iron River, Michigan, was found south of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock in Marquette, nearly 3 miles from where he disappeared. The search continues for Sarah Hall, 37, also of Iron River, who was standing near Robert on the rocks. Searches done by city, county and state emergency responders, supported by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and boat, had not been able to find the two. Anderson’s obituary identifies the adventurous father and grandfather as a U.S. Army veteran who worked as a nurse at the Dickinson County Memorial Hospital and as a fabricator for the family business, RJ Metal Specialty. “Bob was like a nine-life cat who was blessed to have fifteen lives,” according to the obituary. “God knew He would need to whip up something big to take Bob out. The Lake Superior storm that day was certainly capable, having the strength of the storm that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald.” In 1993, Robert, who also worked as an EMT, earned the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Michigan State Patrol.
Erosion in the News: With continued high levels of Lake Superior water (currently 11 inches above its long term November average), varying news stories in the last few weeks have mentioned the erosion problems around the Big Lake. TV6 FoxUP had two stories after the October storm about erosion problems at Whitefish Point and in Harvey. The Duluth News Tribune, meanwhile, did a story about a proposal to use dredged materials to shore up the sands on Minnesota Point. Mark Torregrossa, chief meteorologist, at MLive suggests that Great Lakes water levels will not be declining any time soon.
Then & Now: Paul Evans has taken on a grand project in Michigan – visiting places with his old postcards and then shooting how those places look today. He has traveled around the state, including in the Upper Peninsula (and here in downtown Houghton). Check out his Rephotographing Michigan Facebook page.
Great Lakes Funding Clears Committee: The $300 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding that has annually been made available since 2010 has cleared the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee headed to the full Senate, according to an Associated Press story. The money was eliminated by the White House budget, but has been popular with both political parties in the eight Great Lakes states for funding restoration projects.
Giant Stormy Kromer Comes Home: Ironwood, Michigan’s giant Stormy Kromer cap has been moved to the building where the smaller, more wearable versions are made. The Big Kromer had been stationed on Highway 15, but has been moved to the factory on Wall Street. “We didn’t foresee the growth in interest in visiting our factory and taking our tour,” says the Stormy Kromer Facebook page. “Now, to make it a full Stormy Kromer experience, fans who visit our location will be able to take their photo with the hat after taking a tour.” Ironwood is not the only place to see an oversized Stormy Kromer. Patrick Chandler discovered a huge cloth version (right) in the Surplus Outlet in downtown Houghton on a visit to Michigan Tech. And lastly, a “big” Stormy Kromer fan, actor and Michigan booster Jeff Daniels, posted a guest blog on the company website about wearing the iconic cap in New York City.
Super Snacking: Three Duluth kids made the cut of 52 finalists in the Minnesota Super Bowl Super Snacking: Three Duluth kids made the cut of 52 finalists in the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee’s “Super Snack Challenge” and one made it all the way to the “All-Pro Chefs” competition next Tuesday. The competition, part of the host committee’s efforts to engage the state and build enthusiasm for the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis, got recipes for healthy game day snacks from more than 400 children, ages 8 to 14. Daijon Compere, a 13-year-old student at East High School, Elijah Harding, an 11-year-old at Lincoln Recy Middle School, and Mar Kelle Schlosser, a 14-year-old at Marshall School, all made it into the top 52. Daijon will continue on in competition Tuesday at Breaking Bread Café in Minneapolis for a special 10-student “cook-off,” preparing his “Parfait of Flavor” recipe for celebrity chef judges. The host committee partnered with Newman’s Own Foundation for the competition and the winner, to be announced during the 10-day festival leading up to the Super Bowl in February, will receive $25,000 to donate to their favorite charity. You can find the recipes – really just assembly required! – for Daijon’s “Parfait of Flavor,” plus Elijah’s “The Perfect 12 Mix” and Mar Kelle’s “Banana Toppers” on our website.
A Doggone Nice Hangout: Gary New Duluth this week became the latest city neighborhood to open a dog park, the fourth one in Duluth. More than $10,500 came in as cash donations plus hours of volunteer work made possible the fenced-in, off-leash space near the Gary New Duluth Recreation Center. The center celebrated the opening on its Facebook page. Find all the Duluth dog park locations online.
A College Good for the Times: The University of Wisconsin-Superior earned a spot on Military Times Best Colleges 2018 rankings and got a four out of four star rating on coverage of tuition beyond the GI Bill. In 2016, the university had 117 military veterans within its 2,487-student enrollment. “I believe this recognition means a lot for UW-Superior,” Monte Stewart, Veteran and Non-Traditional Student services coordinator, was quoted in a release announcing the honor. “Less than half the universities that apply for this recognition actually receive it because the survey process is very extensive. Military Times wants to make sure they are only recognizing the institutions who are truly making a difference and being inclusive of their student veteran population.”
You Deserve It: You’ve made it through one major holiday and are heading toward the next. Now might be a good time for a Santa Baby Cosmo cocktail. This recipe, along with a few other hot and cold holiday cocktails, was provided by Julie Phillips, genius mixologist and the wine steward at the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, for one of our Recipe Box stories. This recipe serves 2; enjoy with a friend.
Santa Baby Cosmo
2 oz. Zygo (energy vodka) or vodka of your choice
1 oz. cranberry pureé (see below)
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup (see below)
1 oz. Grand Marnier
2 orange wedges
Make the pureé and syrup. Shake all ingredients together over ice and pour into martini glasses. Top with a splash of sparkling wine/champagne. Garnish with a wedge of orange.
Cranberry Pureé
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 1/2 c. water
Rinse and sort the cranberries. Put them in a 3-quart saucepan and add the water. Cook on high to a boil, then turn down to medium and continue to cook until the cranberries become soft or pop. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Let this mixture cool slightly. Working in small batches, strain the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to push the mixture through the screen. When you have pressed out most of the liquid, discard the skin and seeds and start the next batch. This is now your cranberry pureé that can be kept for a week in the refrigerator or frozen for future use.
Simple Syrup
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. water
Place the 2 cups granulated sugar in a saucepan and add the cup of water. Beat gently, stirring all the time, until the sugar is all dissolved. Allow it to cool and then bottle it for the cocktail use. This can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.
We’d Love to See You: Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 25) our Outlet Store will be open with special hours on Small Business Saturday. This is the only scheduled Saturday we will be open at our location at 310 E. Superior St. So drop by from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., check out our deals and pick up something from the Lake Superior Collection for holiday gifts. Wherever you are by the Big Lake, please do remember your local merchants in your seasonal – and everyday – shopping.
Photo & graphics: Lutsen Mountains; Spirit Mountain; Wisconsin Water Library/Wisconsin Sea Grant; Paul Evans; Stormy Kromer; Patrick Chandler; Jack Rendulich/Gary New Duluth Recreation Center; Mark Phillips/Old Rittenhouse Inn.