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- Jun 7, 2006
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- LT Gold
Minnesota is an interesting contrast. It has (or had) the largest iron ore deposits in the US that formed the basis of the industrialisation of the US (and the extreme wealth of such 'robber barons' as Rockefeller, Carnegie et al.) in the 19th century. Ore was shipped via the Great Lakes to the (now rustbelt states) further E and kicked off the NYC construction booms (all those iron-framed buildings), railroads and so on. During WW2, 65Mt/y was mined to crank the war effort. Subsequently, the high-grade hematite was exhausted and new technology was introduced to beneficiate the lower grade taconite (Wiki Rooflyer!). Just how the industry is going now I'm not sure, but I could hazard a guess.
It was strange to an Australian (West Australian especially) seeing huge open-cut iron ore mines surrounded (and hidden) by lush boreal forest.
Essentially, N MN is a vast wilderness and plays to that. Ely, where I am now, is the main jump-off for the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) which is a very empty section of lakes up to the Canadian border - to where the watershed drains from about 100 km N of Ely. Canoeing is the nutso summer activity and, being the Labor Day long weekend (and official end of summer), there are canoeists everywhere here right now. Every second shop up the main street seems to be canoeing related. In winter, Ely is very famous for dog-sled mushing activities. From everything I see, the winters must be brutal here!
Took a drive up the W shore of HUGE (10% of the planet's fresh water) Lake Superior today to Grand Portage, just short of the Canadian border. This was the hub of the North West Company shipping beaver pelts out via the Great Lakes and Montreal during the late 1700's and early 1800's (ie. until they sent the beavers almost to extinction in many parts of the inland territories.) The pelts were brought out of the territories in large (40 ft) 'Montreal' birch-bark canoes to Grand Portage (the last 8 miles was by portering overland to bypass waterfalls - hence Grand Portage) for loading onto larger vessels bound for Montreal and then for transfer on to London.
Ely also has the International Wolf Center and Saturday evening at 1930h is weekly feeding time. I went out and watched a deer get gnawed. (For the squeamish, I hasten to add that the deer was dead.)
Heading back to MSP via Duluth (the major port on Lake Superior) tomorrow and on to PHX on Monday.
I'll post a few photos from my phone after this iPad text post.
It was strange to an Australian (West Australian especially) seeing huge open-cut iron ore mines surrounded (and hidden) by lush boreal forest.
Essentially, N MN is a vast wilderness and plays to that. Ely, where I am now, is the main jump-off for the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness) which is a very empty section of lakes up to the Canadian border - to where the watershed drains from about 100 km N of Ely. Canoeing is the nutso summer activity and, being the Labor Day long weekend (and official end of summer), there are canoeists everywhere here right now. Every second shop up the main street seems to be canoeing related. In winter, Ely is very famous for dog-sled mushing activities. From everything I see, the winters must be brutal here!
Took a drive up the W shore of HUGE (10% of the planet's fresh water) Lake Superior today to Grand Portage, just short of the Canadian border. This was the hub of the North West Company shipping beaver pelts out via the Great Lakes and Montreal during the late 1700's and early 1800's (ie. until they sent the beavers almost to extinction in many parts of the inland territories.) The pelts were brought out of the territories in large (40 ft) 'Montreal' birch-bark canoes to Grand Portage (the last 8 miles was by portering overland to bypass waterfalls - hence Grand Portage) for loading onto larger vessels bound for Montreal and then for transfer on to London.
Ely also has the International Wolf Center and Saturday evening at 1930h is weekly feeding time. I went out and watched a deer get gnawed. (For the squeamish, I hasten to add that the deer was dead.)
Heading back to MSP via Duluth (the major port on Lake Superior) tomorrow and on to PHX on Monday.
I'll post a few photos from my phone after this iPad text post.
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