Compiled by Adam Fornear
That tiny speck is Fornear climbing…
Winter in Duluth has been absolutely magical this year! Waist deep snow, great ice for ice climbing, perfectly groomed cross-country skiing trails, and smooth flowing fat bike trails zigging and zagging through the forests. It’s great to see how a community fully embraces the winter up north in Duluth. Of course, there is the occasional local newscaster who frowns upon the next storm rolling into the region but then in the same 30 minute news block there is always a story about people who are out skiing and snowmobiling on city streets. Love it!
Alright — back to the wide world of winter sports in Duluth, MN. Last night I met up with two friends and Daisy the dog and went out mountain biking on the trails at Hartley Park. These are the same trails that we take the campers mountain biking during the summer for field trips, with a whole lot more snow! Wonderful single track that flows smoothly through stands of red pines, across wide open bogs and dense deciduous forests. There’s about three feet of snow on the ground but our local mountain bike chapter, COGGS, has a groomer that packs the snow down in a 18 inch wide path. The path is smooth, solid as a rock and very fast and fun during the colder days. Outside of the path the snow is soft, deep and makes a great cushion for crashing. Add in a 750-lumen bike light on the front, and you are ready to rip these trips in the dark of night.
…and that tiny speck is Fornear belaying!
Biking these trails at night, in the midst of winter is an unforgettable experience. The weather varies… last night was amazingly quiet with no wind and temperatures hovering around 20 degrees. The other plus to trail riding at night? Your friends don’t get to see you wipe out, and crashing on a bike into three feet of snow is pretty fun.
The fun continues with a cross country ski this evening and then we are having the Duluth Ice Climbing Festival this weekend. Excellent ice at our local crag right now and great temps this weekend so the festival should be a hit. If you’re looking for something to do, hit the road or hop on a plane and head to Duluth!
I trust your winter is going well and that you are getting really excited about the upcoming summer. Camp is shaping up to be a great summer once again. Trip permits are in the works, program gear is being purchased and most importantly staff are getting hired on for the summer! Remember, if you have any news please shoot it my way and I will get you in the next arrowhead. Email me (Fornear) at [email protected]. Have a great day and I hope you are all getting outside for some recreation!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW that in Chicago, Michael Bayer has started driving the streets of Chicago. Will Needlman plays center for his basketball team and had a solid fall football season. Brady Rivkin plays trombone for the Northshore Honor Band. Will Gray is staying busy playing basketball. Ben Shacter is an important member of the technical team for his school’s theater program. He has been working on their most recent play, Oscar Wilde’s, “The Importance of Being Earnest”.
Dave Weber in 2002, enjoying the warmer Nebagamon shores
IN THE WHERE-ARE-THEY-NOW DEPARTMENT: Mike Maidenberg (Grand Forks/Oakland, CA ’61-’62), longtime publisher of the Grand Forks Herald who helped lead the newspaper to a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service following the 1997 flood, has been chosen to be the sixth recipient of the North Dakota Newspaper Association’s Distinguished Service Award. Ryan Glasspiegel (CT/Chicago ’96-’02,’04-’07,’09) was recently included on Sports Illustrated’s list of 100 people to follow on Twitter for sports business news in 2020. Former Nature Lore director, Bro Nat Dave Webber (IL/Georgia) is the current center director at Wahsega 4-H Center in Dahlonega, Georgia. Wahsega is trying to get 5,000 likes on Facebook, at which point Dave will have to jump into their ice-cold lake!
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RECENT ENGAGEMENTS go to Josh Weinberg (Chicago ’04-’09,’11-‘14) and Nika Arzoumanian (New York).
WEDDING CONGRATULATIONS go to David Pilsk (Takoma Park, MD ’06-’11,’13-‘15) and Barbra Jackson (Maryland). Congratulations also go to Brandon Kaufmann (Denver/San Francisco ’99-’05,’07-‘08) and Yael Gilboa (San Francisco).