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Ralph Schwalbach and great grandson love their time together in the woods.

Days of Freedom, Nights of Campfires

The first time we looked upon great waters together, I was far too young to comprehend their immensity. In fact, the event precedes my memory. But looking at the black-and-white photograph my mother …

After finishing a difficult portage, Scott and Emilie celebrate getting back on the water.

First Time in Quetico

Sun warmed us as we paddled our loaded canoe into a light wind across Batchewaung Lake on our first full day together in Quetico Park. We could see hundreds of yards in all directions – water, …

The Kuester family in Cable, WI, 2025 — marking Nora and Evelyn’s first mountain bike adventure.

Youth Mountain Biking Programs Grow Across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan

Twenty-six eighth-grade girls stare down the trail, hands locked on handlebars, poised at the starting line. The countdown begins- 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5 . Then—silence. Evelyn tightens her grip. …

Recycle e-bike batteries

The Battery Network has partnered with PeopleForBikes, dozens of bike brands, and thousands of retailers to solve the problem of dead e-bike batteries. E-bikes provide a fun, safe, and …

A Conversation with Richard Louv, author of “Noticing: Intimate Encounters with the Natural World”

Richard Louv’s influential book, Last Child in the Woods , launched a grassroots movement to connect children and nature. Coining the lack of experience in the outdoors as “nature-deficit …

Four Peaks, No Fluff

The first time Mia Rucoba ran “Four Peaks, No Fluff,” it was late April, rainy and muddy, and she had almost no experience running Marquette’s technical trails. She had met Greg Borzick and …

Participation Records and Historic Performances at Twin Cities Marathon

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend welcomed more than 33,000 participants from all 50 states and 24 countries this weekend, setting a new event registration record in its 45-year history. …

The Great Lake Superior Swim offers 1,2 and 3.7 mile courses.

The Great(est) Lake Superior Swim

“The greatest gift we have is this lake,” says Matt Evans, standing waist-high in Lake Superior, the hem of his T-shirt bobbing on the surface. “Today we’re here to celebrate it.” He’s …

Blackhawk

Tucked into the start of the Driftless Region, just a few miles west of Madison, Wisconsin, lies Blackhawk Ski and Mountain Bike Club. Founded in 1947 when a group of ski jumpers organized …

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Fungi emit all sorts of smells while they are living and dying. Mushrooms are a common sight along damp portage trails after fall rains begin.

Wild Notes

September is the Best Season to Explore Wild Places

White-tailed deer seek nutritious aquatic vegetation in the summer.

Wild Notes

A Window into Wild Places

Doyne Park

Wild Notes

Summer Doesn’t Last Forever

Briefs

- Backcountry buys Velofix
  
  E-commerce retailer Backcountry has bought the Canada-based mobile bike service franchiser Velofix. Backcountry — which also owns …
- Forging Steel
  
  Robert Burns, the talented and experienced instructor of the Blacksmith’s Folding Knife Class, hands students bars of gray steel 18” long. …
- QPB’s flagship winter industry event returns
  
  Quality Bicycle Products, a leading North America-based bicycle parts distributor and brand manufacturer, announced the return of its industry …
- North House Folk School
  
  Providing hands-on connection in a fragmented world, North House Folk School leads the national folk school movement. Nearly three decades …
- $3.25 million approved for Tettegouche State Park improvements
  
  Tettegouche State Park will receive $3.25 million for needed improvements. According to an announcement by Sen. Grant Hauschild, crews will …
- The Partnership
  
  Trail advocacy requires government partners to say yes, and I’d like to examine how 31 years of trust-building between Metro Mountain Bikers …

More Briefs

Wisconsin Public Radio welcomes Silent Sports contributor Timothy Bauer

Listen to Silent Sports contributor Timothy Bauer talking about fall paddling opportunities in Wisconsin during the Lee Rayburn Show on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wisconsin Public Radio features Silent Sports

LISTEN: Editor Lou Dzierzak talks with Wisconsin Public Radio host Lee Rayburn about how Silent Sports caters to outdoor enthusiasts throughout the Upper Midwest including runners, cyclists, paddlers, cross-country skiers and others.

Nature