Our customers are already renting canoes, and others have started to ask us if we sell used canoes – yes, we do! We’ve decided to turn our rental fleet over more often in the summer, so feel free to give us a call or stop in and ask what is available. Our philosophy is to sell our used boats soon enough that they are still in great shape. Langford canoes are a lifetime investment, and last so long that you can pass them down to your kids, but we’d still like you to start out with a boat in near-new condition. And, of course, if you’d like to purchase one that is brand-new, we have those in Kevlar and wood as well. Call for availability.

As far as our other merchandise goes, we have some new products this summer that are being stocked daily. We have eyewear from Adidas, and shoes from Teva, Oboz, Patagonia, Vasque and Ahnu. We are getting set up with new shipments of Kuhl, Kavu, Prana and more in causal and trail wear. We have outerwear/wind jackets/rain gear from Marmot, Mountain Hardware, Rab and more.

We’ve also increased our staff – last summer we found ourselves short of help on some days, so we have added a few new faces. We’ve also added guides, so that we can offer more kayak and canoe tours this summer along with the rock climbing and fly fishing. Sales of our Tenkara fly rods keep going up, and Scott and Justin are here to show you how they work. It helps if in your planning, you can sign up a few days in advance so we can make sure we have enough guides to go around.

Come on up this summer, and stop in at Stone Harbor for your next adventure! Because, just as the Cook County Visitors’ Bureau says, we are “Way North of Ordinary.”

Our spring sales have been good, even though we don’t have all of our inventory in yet. In about two weeks, we should be well-stocked. We’ve received early orders of Marmot and RAB on the clothing side, and Oboz and Teva on the footwear side. Yesterday, the staff had a clinic on our new line of Adidas sunglasses, Yakima roof racks and Cascade Designs (MSR and Therma Rest) for 2012.

Feedback from the staff on these items has been great. The new sunglasses are fantastic. They are made in Austria and can accommodate prescriptions, so putting them on is like giving your eyes a vacation. Cascade Designs not only makes almost all of their equipment in the US, but they are on the cutting edge in terms of research and development. Their MSR tents and stoves are unsurpassed in terms of quality and warranties.  And their Therma Rest pads have been in the forefront for as long as I can remember (and that is a long time).

In addition to products, one of our most exciting developments has been the hiring of staff for the summer and beyond. We are beefing up our staff of kayak guides so we can accommodate more folks, along with adding more climbing and fishing guides. In the store itself we should not have any problems in terms of having knowledgeable folks to answer you questions and to tend to your needs. One of my top priorities as owner of Stone Harbor is to make sure all of our guests receive excellent customer service. This summer should be better than ever.

We’ll also be out in the community this summer, updating certifications and sponsoring events. Here are just a few of the places you’ll be able to stop by and say hi:

• Midwest Mountaineering Spring Expo in Minneapolis (April 27-29)
• Ham Run Half Marathon (Sunday, May 6)
• The Mother of Minnesota Hikes (Saturday, May 12)

Grand Marais is starting to awaken from its winter slumber, so stop up and help us celebrate. The donut shop should be opening soon (at least it better for our staff’s sake – we miss it), and other seasonal restaurants should be coming back on line soon. Some of the summer-only shops are starting to get cleaned up and stocked with merchandise. It is nice to see everyone coming back, ready for guests. We hope to see you soon!

Look on the bright side: No ice or snow means you can come up here and hike and canoe before the crowds! I took my dogs out on the Superior Hiking Trail on Sunday expecting to get us all quite muddy. As it ended up, I was way overdressed on my feet. The trails were snow-free and mostly dry. We’re actually hoping that the trails will get muddier, since we need the moisture to keep down the fire danger. The bugs are still at bay, but hurry because it’s a sure bet that they will be here soon. Ruffed Grouse drumming is about to arrive, too.

Inside, we’re starting to turn the store over for spring and summer. Ice fishing gear is being replaced with fly fishing gear. We’ve been talking about going out on the big lake before work to look for lake trout, but we haven’t done that yet – maybe next week. With some of the heavy rain we’ve had, the river levels have come up and the water has warmed enough for the Steelhead to start running. More rain will do nothing but make things better.

In a few days, you will notice our canoe rack back out in front of the store. The beach kayak rack has been set up, and we’re in the process of moving boats from the warehouse. There seems to be an increase in SUP interest already this year, and we’re hoping to see a lot more of that activity on some of the nearby lakes.

We have a good supply of tents, sleeping bags and camping equipment in already with much more coming in soon. We were taken by surprise at how strong our boot and shoe sales were last winter, so we are a little low on those, but starting next week we should be getting all of our spring/summer shoes and boots in stock.

The bottom line is that if you have the time, come on up. There is much you can do before the spring/summer crowds arrive, and we’ll be glad to show you where you can hike and bike. Stop in soon – if you’re someone who wants to make the most of this unusually warm spring, we’ll be expecting you!

We get a lot of questions from our visitors about the light shows, and often suggest www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthAmerica as a resource.  As your trip gets near, check this site to see if you need to be on the lookout. The problem here in the past 10 days is that in some of the better days the moon has been so bright it takes away from the Northern Lights. How strange it seems to complain that the beautiful full moon rising over Lake Superior is somehow a nuisance.

In other spring updates, Scott and Tom went off to Canoecopia and ran into a lot of our good customers. We appreciate all of you who stopped in to say hello. It is nice to see familiar faces. Those who missed us there can see us at Midwest Mountaineering in April.

The shop is also starting to transform, with new shipments arriving almost daily. Today is the new RAB gear. Soon will be Marmot, kayaks, and Langford canoes. We will have more SUPs available for rent along with a larger fleet of canoes and kayaks. If you are looking for used canoes when you get up here, be sure to stop in to see what we have available.

We’re also updating our tour schedule – for example, there will be two Isle Royale trips this summer, with a longer duration than last year (six nights instead of four). If you have an interest, please contact us early as these trips will fill fast. Those who went last summer had a lot of fun. All skill levels are welcome.

Finally, keep an eye out for upcoming events. We are still doing kayak classes in the pool and hope to get outside by May. Stone Harbor will again be a sponsor of the annual Ham Run Half Marathon held on Sunday May 6. If you are a runner, this is always a great event.

We’ve also donated some tours and rentals to charitable organizations in Grand Marais and around the state. If you see us at one of these events you can bid against others for a chance to go out with us and support your favorite charity at the same time. Some of the organizations we have sponsored in the past include the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Education Foundation, the Congregational Church project to buy a guide dog for returning veterans in Grand Marias, the Sanneh Foundation, the Greyhound Rescue group, the Women’s Soccer league in the Twin Cities, and the New Ulm Area Catholic Schools, to name just a few. Keep an eye out for more in the future.

That’s the scoop on what is happening up here with this year’s early spring – now, I need to get outside and enjoy it. We hope to see you up here with us soon!

Let’s start with the remainder of our winter. First, we need to make it very clear. As you saw in the video of the recent dogsled race, the Cook County area has snow – and has had it most of the winter. You may not see much right in Grand Marais, but on the Gunflint Trail we’ve had enough for folks to have some very nice ski outings. Melissa is hosting a Night Glider Ski night every other Monday evening. Everyone meets at the store at 4:30 PM and she takes them out for a short tour in the area. Every outing is different and the next event is on Monday, February 13 – feel free to join us. We are also still offering Ice Climbing tours and dog sledding trips. Give the store a call for availability.

A new area in our store this winter has been ice fishing and winter camping. Even in areas where we don’t have a lot of snow, we do have ice. Fishing has not been bad. A few of the staff went out for the opening of trout season earlier in January and came back with a nice batch of splake. Come on in and rent an ice house and auger or just add to that collection of ice fishing gear that you have. We have cameras and locators also. And of course we have Snowtrekker tents and 4 Dog stoves if you decide to go out camping for a few days.

On those cold days, it can be nice to remember that summer is not that far away. On February and March 15, we are having kayaking lessons in the Grand Marais Municipal Pool. Reservations are required, so stop in or give us a call. All ability levels are welcome, and we will progress from beginner to advanced techniques. Rest assured that you will not be left behind if you are starting out – and you’ll still be challenged even if you are an experienced kayaker.

Join us as we continue our great winter season and look forward to summer. And remember that Stone Harbor is here to make your next adventure to the Arrowhead a memorable experience. We hope to see you soon!

“When the Beargrease race was cancelled due to lack of snow, the mushers here were really disappointed,” said Jack Stone, owner of Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. “So the Cook County Dog Mushers and I started thinking: Why not invite the mushers north? We have snow and the conditions are great. So, we put the word out – and they can’t wait.”

The last time this happened was in 2007, when the Beargrease race was also canceled due to lack of snow. For this year’s version, Stone Harbor teamed up with The Landing at Devil Track, the Trail Center, the Cook County Dog Mushers, and the Cook County Ridge Riders snowmobile club to create the race route. It will include the opportunity to experience winter camping at Devil Track, similar to the Sawbill Winter Camping Village that would have taken place during the Beargrease event.

All of the Gunflint Mail Run events are timed to ensure that spectators and participants are still able to take part in the Beargrease-related events that have not been canceled. “It was important for us to make sure we aren’t taking anything away from that outstanding event, which we look forward to sponsoring every year,” said Stone. “We just want to give the mushers a chance to compete, since that is what they love – and what they have been training for.” According to Stone, almost all 16 of the available race spots were filled by mushers from Cook County within days of announcing the race.

The race will begin at approximately 4 pm on Monday, January 30, with an expected finish before noon on Tuesday, January 31. Mushers will travel from Devil Track up the Gunflint Trail, and then to the Trail Center, where they will have a five-hour layover. After that, they will make their way back down to Devil Track, for a total route of approximately 100 miles.

“Most people think there’s been nearly no snow in Minnesota this year, but there has been plenty of it up here on the Gunflint Trail,” said Sarah Hamilton, owner of the Trail Center. “We really enjoy being the turnaround point for the Beargrease each year, and are excited to hear that our musher friends will still be stopping by mid-race.”

Spectators are welcome to join in the festivities at the Trail Center, or at Devil Track. Winter camping at Devil Track will begin on Sunday evening and continue Monday night, with heated tents and other gear supplied by Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply. There will purse and other prizes for racers to win, plus a whole lot of fun for racers and spectators alike. If the weather allows, snow kiting demos, Marquette ski demos, and other winter activities will also be available on site, courtesy of Stone Harbor.