The Things I Wish I Had Known “What is that thing?” “Oh, that? It’s just a little sea otter, nothing too crazy.” “Wow, I had no idea. I’m from Pennsylvania, we don’t have those there.” “That’s ok, I’m from Minnesota,…
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Moose Country
The Story Behind The Photo All my research had pointed to the Gunflint Trail. “There is no mileage in photographing a bear with a long lens—it has been done before—it is hackneyed pulp.” David Yarrow After meeting David in Chicago,…
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Your Dreams May Take Longer Than You Think
But They’re Worth Holding On To I have always been a dreamer. A big picture, can-do person who yearns for adventure and unique conversation starters. “Oh, I see you have a castle?” Yup, building a castle is on that list.…
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The 2023 Tanzania Photography Wall Calendar
The Calendar I would like to introduce you to the 2023 Tanzania Photography Wall Calendar. This is The Spur Trail’s third annual art calendar. Within its pages you will find adventures from Serengeti safari, living with the Maasai, climbing mountains…
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This is How YOU Can Take Climate Change By The Horns
Ten Actionable Actions Here’s where I struggle. What can I, a single person, do about Climate Change? I am going to give you a few, outside-the-box ideas, that can have an immediate impact. Plant a tree. I want to quote…
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In Order to Make Frugal Maple Syrup, You Will Need One Of These
A DIY maple syrup evaporator, to help you make sweet, sweet tree juice. And will it bring the taste of spring to your own table? I’m getting serious about syrup making. Like real serious. A cuppella’ buckets of sap and…
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Dead in the Mountains
Nobody talked. It had been this way for a couple of hours. Occasionally there might be a murmur, or accidental nervous laugh. Some couple trying to keep their spirits up. Useless It is impossible to know what we were all…
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March Update: MN State Parks
March is…an interesting time to be outside in Minnesota State Parks.
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The Minnesota State Parks Passport and Hiking Club Programs Project
Gotta Catch ‘Em All What Am I Doing? I have a photography/adventure project involving all of the Minnesota State Parks and Recreation Areas. Let’s catch you up. Lake Louise State Park played host to large groups of rambunctious pre-teens for…
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Tettegouche State Park – Winter
In winter it is as if you get a fresh start every time it snows. A new story can be told, a narrative reworked if you didn’t like the way it came out the first time.
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Gooseberry Falls State Park – Winter
The paths around Gooseberry Falls State Park were quiet though well-trafficked. With heavy snow falling, my tracks disappeared behind me. Not uncomfortable, it was just below freezing and I was fine with a single pair of socks. That’s a good thermometer.
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Split Rock Lighthouse State Park – Winter
On this frigid day in January, I awoke in my vehicle not far from Split Rock State Park. It was dark as I poked my head out from my den of sleeping bags and blankets. There were two valid reasons for such a great darkness. One, was the fact that it was still predawn and all ambient light was low. The second, was that my car was covered with a thick layer of snow.
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Jay Cooke State Park – Winter
I’m going to go ahead on record and just say that any adventure that begins…
A: Outdoors
B: On snowshoes
C: Under the first Wolf Moon of a new decade
…is going to be a good one.
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One Simple Way To Slow Down During Adventure
I do not think I’m wrong when I say I know some of the busiest people on the planet. If you were to listen to the list of engagements they have going on during the week, your head would spin. …
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SHT ‘Part Three’ – Hiking A Fall Section
Alternate Titles The Secret Loves Of Color She had just left me, parting ways to make our miles and heading in opposite directions. Instead of making an early, timely start, we conspired with sunrise for a photoshoot. Stepping out of…
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How To: Get A Date On Valentine’s Day
If It’s This Easy, Why Wouldn’t You? This article is intended for all those who are hyper-adventurous, a little crazy, and have no idea where they might be on any particular holiday. So much so that you may even forget…
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9 Days of SHT ‘Part Two’
‘Part Two’ (We’re picking up where we left off, our adventurer trekking not only through the northern wilderness but also his troubled past. Ok not that troubled but it sounds dramatic right?) Four years ago the first .2 miles tuckered…
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9 Days of SHT ‘Part One’
A Harrowing Tale of Walking “So this is how it’s gonna be?!?” I thought to myself. I was no more than a few blocks from my starting point and had picked up what I thought was an auspicious find. That…
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2018 – A Year In Review
Blowing By Quickly As always, the start of the next year leaves me scratching my head as to what happened to the previous one. Well here’s a post that will outline some (I know, just some) of what happened and…
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Beginner’s Bike Tour – Part One
Before I wow you with bike tour tales, I’m gonna hit you with some backstory. Kapish? Back, that, story for me, back that story for me… In 2009 I got my first job out of college. I was a janitor…
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Is Lebanon Heaven For Camping?
It Just Might Be I was on my second trip to the land of Lebanon. To answer your question, as is also asked by every single Lebanese; my brother and sister-in-law live here. Not only is it a unique and…
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What You Need To Know To Climb Mount Meru
You’re heading to Tanzania and you’ve heard of Mount Kilimanjaro. However, did you know there was another option? Just a stone’s throw away is Mount Meru…and you might just find it’s a better fit for you. Mount Meru Facts 70…
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99 Spur Trail Solutions For Everything
There can be many, varied roadblocks when you start to think about yourself and traveling in the same context. Some walls are put up by others. Some you’ve put up yourself without realizing it. At the end of the…
Read MoreHow To: Get A Date On Valentine’s Day
If It’s This Easy, Why Wouldn’t You? This article is intended for all those who are hyper-adventurous, a little crazy, and have no idea where they might be on any particular holiday. So much so that you may even forget…
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Bike Tour – Part 4 “Wet Washington”
Remember that awesome mushroom book I bought on Day Two of the trip?
Yeah, after the night of infinite terror…
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Bike Tour – Part 3 “Washington In”
Alternate Titles “Washington is a Waste of Time” The two days that best described our time in Washington were the first day in, and the last day out. Advice given to us by a former Highway 101 bike rider suggested,…
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Bike Tour – Part Two
A Canadian Start Talking about big ideas is easy. I do that a lot. Getting started is the tough part. I began this bike tour slowly, attending an evening workshop on bike touring, researched gear, took a couple of longer…
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Bike Tour – Part One
How To Start An Adventure So I ticked the box next to something on my bucket list recently. An 1100 mile bike tour down the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Now, far too long after completing it, I shall tell…
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How To See Minnesota In 30 Hours
Why would anyone even want to do that? Minnesota is huge, it is the 12th largest state. It is approximately 360 miles wide and 407 miles tall. In order to see it all in just over a day…
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Things You Can Do With Free Time
How do you afford to travel, how do you get there, and how do you pick where to go? My secret has ultimately been to…
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Mille Lacs Kathio
Sometimes I will have a free day sneak up on me and I just won’t know what to do with it. They are rare and usually a surprise via cancellation or change-of-plans. However, a few weeks ago, I found myself with a…
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iPod Photography – The Lost Files
Yes, it’s true. There are times where I’ll scoff at those who think that the camera in their phone is the next best thing and that’s all they need. Why bother carrying around something that takes up an extra pocket,…
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The Beginning
(I’m too nostalgic to let all things old go, and this post is a great example of that. The interest in starting ‘The Spur Trail’ started way back in 2009, with a little website and a couple of blogs…
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