When bass attack

Posted at 5:21 PM on May 8, 2012 by Michael Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Lakes, Rivers and streams, Sports & Recreation

In the rushing streams and clear cool waters found from Minnesota to the Hudson Bay, the prized smallmouth bass feeds on crayfish, insects and the occasional bait launched into the water by a hopeful angler.

They can be greedy, as freshwater scientist Gretchen Anderson Hansen found while collecting crayfish in a lake in Vilas County, Wis., when she found herself being observed by a handful of hungry smallmouth bass.

Anderson Hansen, who does her research work with the UW-Madison Center for Limnology, was able to protect her samples this time around, but she's not always so lucky. She says "opportunistic" bass "often grab her 'samples' before she gets a handle on them."

Smallmouth bass are native to the Mississippi River watershed and spread into lakes around Minnesota during the 1800s including Lake Vermillion and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

An eight-pound small mouth caught in Otter Tail in 1948 is recorded as the largest catch of this fish in Minnesota.

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In other non-stadium Vikings news, draft picks restore order

Posted at 5:41 AM on April 27, 2012 by Michael Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Last season was a rough one for Vikings fans, but the upshot to a bad season is that you get a better draft pick. The Star Tribune breaks down a dizzying array of maneuvers that resulted in the Vikings getting two picks during the first round.

The bottom-line is that the Vikings added Matt Kalil from USC to their offensive line. ESPN blogger Kevin Siefert praises the work of Vikings General Manager in the draft, "Rick Spielman restores order for Vikings." Siefert places the pick in a broader context, "Spielman drafted Kalil because the immediate future of the franchise depends on creating a more comfortable environment for quarterback Christian Ponder."

They also selected Harrison Smith a safety from Notre Dame. Smith joins three other players from Notre Dame that play for the Vikings.

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North Country trail winding across Minnesota

Posted at 2:10 PM on April 25, 2012 by Dan Gunderson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Environment, Sports & Recreation

Volunteer Bruce Johnson digs new trail in Hubbard County- photo courtesy NCTA

The North Country Trail Association is hosting informational meetings today in Fergus Falls. The meetings are to gather public input on a route from Fergus Falls to Breckenridge, across the Red River Valley.

The North Country Trail is still under construction, but will eventually run about 4,600 miles; from New York to North Dakota. It is the longest federally designated scenic trail in the United States. About 2,000 miles have been built, some across rather difficult terrain.

Volunteers are still constructing the trail across Minnesota . This new section is in Becker county.

Photo courtesy NCTA

In Minnesota, the trail also incorporates the famed Superior Hiking Trail along the North Shore of Lake Superior. The Minnesota arm of the trail organization is now in the planning stages for about 120 miles of trail across the Red River Valley to connect to the North Dakota trail segment.

The NCTA is also recruiting volunteers to help build and maintain the trail segments.

The meetings will be held from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls.

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Electronic bicyling map to help riders, road planners

Posted at 11:00 AM on March 2, 2012 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Roads, Sports & Recreation

MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

By Jon Collins

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is gathering comments from bicyclists across Minnesota to help create the state's first official electronic bicycling map.

State transportation officials plan to use comments gathered in the study to help bicyclists find their way around and guide the department's approach to building roads and other transit projects.

"When you're developing a project, if you don't have a complete picture of where the bicycle network is, or where the gaps are, it's difficult to prioritize where we can provide extra accommodation to fill in some of those gaps," MnDOT transportation planner Greta Alquist said.

The department's last map, distributed in 2001, was printed on paper. Its decision to seek more input from bicyclists makes sense, given efforts by other state agencies to promote biking for its health benefits, said Dorian Grilley executive director of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.

As biking has gained more popularity across the state, Grilley said, most of the "low-hanging fruit" of abandoned rail lines and roads have already been converted into bike trails. He said bicyclists should add their comments to the study to continue improving bike transit in the state by also making standard roads and highways more safe and accessible for bicyclists.

"Much of the transportation infrastructure, with very little investment, could be significantly improved to make it more bike friendly without causing disruption to traffic or motor vehicle traffic," Grilley said.

Three rounds of meetings will take place across the state, with the first round of meetings starting this week. For people unable to attend the meetings, MnDOT has also set up a statewide online discussion on March 22.

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Bemidji angler's catch: a rod, walleye and eelpout

Posted at 1:02 PM on February 24, 2012 by Tom Robertson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors, Sports & Recreation

Bemidji Pioneer Photo/Monte Draper

A Bemidji man pulled up the catch of a lifetime on Wednesday while ice fishing on Lake Bemidji.

After setting the hook on a bite, veteran angler Burnie Trepanier pulled from the ice hole a 28-inch walleye, an eelpout and a winter fishing rod and reel -- all at once.

Trepanier told The Bemidji Pioneer that as he was pulling the catch up, he initially thought he might have hooked a giant northern pike or a big muskie.

But after a long battle, the first thing he pulled out of the hole was a rod and reel tangled in his line. Next came the walleye and a tangle of braided line.

"And then up came about a 6-pound eelpout. I couldn't believe my eyes," Trepanier told the newspaper.

What's unclear are the chronicle of events that led to the strange catch. Trepanier theorizes that someone lost the rod and reel after a walleye bit on the line. He thinks the eelpout bit on his sucker minnow and then got tangled in the line and the fishing pole.

Trepanier says there's no way to know how long the walleye had been dragging the pole on the lake bottom. The hook was rusted and the jig was faded, but the fishing pole and reel were in good shape.

Trepanier says he plans to have the rod, reel and the two fish mounted.

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Ramsey Co. stadium opponents revive efforts

Posted at 12:44 PM on January 6, 2012 by MPR News Staff (0 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Sports & Recreation

Stadium opponents in Ramsey County are trying again to put a Vikings stadium deal before county voters.

The No Stadium Tax coalition lost an effort to put a county ordinance on the ballot. Now, they're planning to change the county constitution and add a ban on subsidizing professional sports.

That process doesn't require review by the county attorney, and requires fewer signatures. But it also would delay putting the matter to voters until a general election.

Spokeswoman Ady Wickstrom said the petition could have a quicker impact.

"We still want to get this done as quickly as possible. Ideally, we would get this done before the [legislative] session starts," WIckstrom said. "Will that happen? I don't know."

It's the fourth such effort. The county's Charter Commission decided twice last year not to intervene in the stadium debate. The county attorney this week turned down key sections of a proposed anti-stadium law proposed by stadium opponents.

Wickstrom said the new effort will need nearly 15,000 signatures.

"We've got volunteers that are ready to go," Wickstrom said. "They've got the petitions, and I've given them the word that they can go ahead and start collecting signatures right now. So they should be hitting the streets and hitting the neighborhoods."

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Minn. DNR announces new wolf hunting season for fall

Posted at 2:14 PM on January 6, 2012 by Nate Minor (55 Comments)
Filed under: Environment, Outdoors, Sports & Recreation

Wolves roam in the wilderness in February 2010 near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. (MPR File Photo/Derek Montgomery)

By Elizabeth Dunbar

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Friday it will propose a new wolf hunting season for as early as this fall.

The state expects management of the population to fall back into its hands after the gray wolf in the Great Lakes region is officially removed from federal protection later this month.

The DNR is seeking authority from the Legislature to create a new wolf license that would be available through a lottery system. The hunting season, which would include trapping, would likely take place between late November and early January, said Dan Stark, DNR large carnivore specialist.

DNR officials said it has not yet set the number of licenses it will distribute or a target harvest rate. The first hunting season will be conservative so that the DNR can begin to collect data on how successful hunters are and how the wolf population responds, officials said.

There are approximately 3,000 wolves in Minnesota, and Stark said the population needs to stay above 1,600 to remain sustainable. But he said success rates among wolf hunters in other states have been very low.

"It's kind of an opportunistic thing," he said. "Trappers targeting wolves are probably going to be more effective."

It will be the third time the federal government removes Great Lakes region wolves from the Endangered Species Act. The other two times, the wolf was put back under protection following legal action by some animal rights and conservation groups.

A legal challenge is still possible this time, and DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr acknowledged that hunting wolves will be a sensitive issue.

"The wolf is really an iconic species in Minnesota," he said. "We need to proceed with care."

Landwehr said the state has a history of managing game species responsibly.

"We take this conditional opportunity seriously, and we're going to demonstrate that we can do it right," he said.

Ed Boggess, director of the DNR Fish and Wildlife Division, said many of the specifics of the proposed hunt still have to be worked out. He expects that will happen during the upcoming legislative session.

Boggess said DNR officials will propose starting with a small number of licenses to be cautious.

"We don't want to do anything that would get the wolf put back on the list," he said.

Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, oversees DNR matters at the Legislature and said he supports a wolf hunting season. Ingebrigtsen said he wants to see the DNR's specific proposal but will do what he can to expedite legislation to allow the hunt.

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Bemidji bridge funding will complete Paul Bunyan Trail

Posted at 2:20 PM on August 12, 2011 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors, Sports & Recreation

The final budget that came out of the state government shutdown compromise includes some good news for Bemidji. It provides the city $1.8 million to build a pedestrian, bike and snowmobile trail bridge over state Highway 197 at the south end of town.

The bridge has been on the wish list of both the city and the Department of Natural Resources for a long time. It represents the last segment of trail that will officially complete the 110-mile Paul Bunyan Trail from Brainerd to Lake Bemidji State Park. The bridges allows users to safely cross a six-lane section of roadway.

The funding comes from the $500 million bonding bill negotiated by Gov. Mark Dayton. The bonding package provides $5 million for DNR trails, including the bridge.

The bridge will span 140 feet and will include a 12-foot-wide concrete deck.

The project also nicely compliments a development area along the south shore of Lake Bemidji that includes the Sanford Center hockey arena and events facility, as well as other planned commercial and residential development.

Construction of the bridge could be completed as early as this fall.

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DNR to close border lakes and rivers to fishing

Posted at 11:15 AM on April 5, 2011 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

By Stephanie Hemphill

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and its sister agency in Ontario are closing several border lakes and rivers to fishing. The move is to protect spawning walleye from potential over-harvest.

Officials say the mid-May season opener will find northern lakes still under ice and concentrations of walleye gathered to spawn would be at risk.

Affected waters include parts of Sea Gull River, Sea Gull Lake, Saganaga Lake, Northern Light Rapids, the channel between Little Gunflint and Little North Lakes, Cross River, Tait River, and Junco Creek. Closed portions of these waters will be posted.

Closures on joint Minnesota-Ontario waters will be in effect through May; Minnesota-only waters will open the Friday before Memorial Day.

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Citizens' group aims to connect Minnesotans to outdoors

Posted at 2:03 PM on February 14, 2011 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Environment, Sports & Recreation

By Stephanie Hemphill

Minnesotans voted to tax themselves to improve parks and trails, part of the Legacy Amendment of 2008. But Minnesota is changing demographically, with newcomers from places less connected to the outdoors, and kids who are more comfortable with video games than camping.

Given that somewhat contradictory picture, a citizen's group has spent 18 months preparing a plan for the future of Minnesota's parks and trails.

The plan identifies four major strategies -- connecting people with the outdoors, acquiring land and creating new opportunities for park use, investing in existing facilities and coordinating all levels of government and nonprofit groups.

Courtland Nelson, director of parks and trails for the state Department of Natural Resources, expects better coordination among the four categories of Legacy Amendment funding: clean water, habitat, parks and trails, and arts and culture.

"It makes all the sense in the world, if we're doing some component of land protection within a state park, that should have an opportunity to be evaluated by the Lessard-Sams Council," said Nelson, who is guiding the planning process. "Similarly, we have a number of public programming issues that could be enhanced by arts and culture investment."

The DNR is ramping up its public relations efforts.The agency hired Chris Niskanen, an outdoor writer for the Star-Tribune, to head its communication office, and brought on Bob Lessard, a long-time crusader for the Legacy Amendment, to work with conservation groups "to ensure that the agency is listening and responding to their ideas and concerns."

In addition, the DNR named Erica Rivers Assistant Commissioner for Customer Relations and Outreach. Rivers was most recently project manager for the Lake Vermilion State Park development.

The agency is updating web pages to make them user-friendly, and posting an interactive display at key locations like the airport and the Mall of America. All in an effort to keep Minnesotans active in the outdoors.

Reporter Stephanie Hemphill covers the environment for MPR News.

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Think warm thoughts of wilderness camping

Posted at 9:30 AM on December 14, 2010 by Bob Kelleher (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Time to plan that 2011 canoe trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The annual entry permit lottery is already underway through Jan.15. According to the Superior National Forest, the lottery was established to fairly distribute available entry permit quotas for those dates and entry points where demand exceeds availability. You put in your request now; the computer picks the winners after Jan.15, and then -- should your choice get picked -- you're billed $12 for a non-refundable reservation fee and applicable overnight user fees.

The lottery is all online. There's no longer an opportunity to fax or mail in applications. Payments are online as well, with no checks or money orders taken for the lottery.

But, if you don't make it into the lottery, or don't win the entry you hoped for, there are several second chances to get into the Boundary Waters.

First-come first-served permit reservations can be made online beginning Jan. 20. Phone reservations (877-444-6777) can be made beginning Feb. 1. Of course, ideal entry places might already be filled from the lottery, and there are some limits on the hours for the toll free phone number.

You can also take your chances, and your canoe, by going to a permit-issuing station the day you hope to enter the wilderness.

The Forest Service issues permits from ranger stations in places like Tofte, Grand Marais, Ely, Isabella and Cook, while dozens of private businesses - mostly wilderness outfitters - also issue the permits. There's almost always something available, but it might not be the trip you were planning.

It always makes winter a little more tolerable to spend time planning a warm weather canoe trip.

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DNR seeks input on Parks and Trails Legacy Plan

Posted at 8:23 PM on November 26, 2010 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Central Minnesota, Environment, Government, Northwest Minnesota, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota, Sports & Recreation, Twin Cities

MPR Photo/Tom Robertson

You'll soon have a chance to weigh in on the DNR's draft plan to guide state and regional parks and trails Legacy Amendment funding for the next quarter century. The plan will be available for review and public comment starting early next month.

The plan is mandated by the Legislature and is designed to establish a 25-year vision for the parks and trails effort in Minnesota, especially as it pertains to funding generated by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by voters in 2008.

The amendment created a three-eighths percent sales tax increase for natural resources and the arts. Of the money generated, 14.25 percent goes toward state parks and trails projects.

Minnesota residents are asked to comment on recommendations on how parks and trails connect people with the outdoors and how the state takes care of existing recreational resources.

The DNR also wants feedback on their proposed strategy for land acquisition and on developing new parks and trails to meet future needs.

You can comment on the plan online, or attend one of several workshops around the state:

-- Thursday, Dec. 2, 7-9 p.m., Country Inn and Suites, 1900 Premier Dr., Mankato
-- Monday, Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m., Holiday Inn -- downtown waterfront, 200 W. First St., Duluth
-- Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7-9 p.m., Hampton Inn and Suites, 1019 Paul Bunyan Dr. S., Bemidji
-- Wednesday, Dec. 8, 7-9 p.m., University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Ave., St. Paul.

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Lutsen Resort celebrates 125 years

Posted at 10:13 AM on October 14, 2010 by Bob Kelleher (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Sports & Recreation

Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior's North Shore is celebrating its 125th anniversary this weekend. Proprietors say its Minnesota's oldest resort.

The resort opened in 1885, many years preceding a road up the North Shore. The property was first a homestead for Swedish immigrant Charles Axel Nelson, who named the property "Lutsen."

Travelers heading up the shore, usually by water, found the property a convenient stop, with Nelson routinely opening up bed space by booting the kids out. In the early days a stage road only operated during the winter. A real highway wasn't built until 1918, and it was not paved until 1930.

Eventually the family home morphed into the first lodge building, and the resort became a destination for hiking, hunting and fishing. The small town of Lutsen sprang up around the resort.

Renowned mail carrier John Beargrease was a frequent visitor in the early days, before 1900. Gangsters Al Capone; Baby-face Nelson; and John Dillinger were all guests, as was entertainer Arthur Godfrey and industrialist/politician Nelson Rockefeller.

The resort added downhill skiing just after World War II. The Nelson family sold that part of the business in 1980, and the family sold the resort in 1988.

The original lodge was lost to fire in 1948. Today's main resort building, in a Scandinavian log style, dates back to 1952.

Lutsen's Erin Mathe promises a weekend with members of the original families on hand, and a lot of special events.

Life has been getting tougher for Minnesota resorts. Let's hope Lutsen can do another 125 years.

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UND president today outlining plan to end Sioux nickname

Posted at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2010 by Dan Gunderson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Education, Northwest Minnesota, Sports & Recreation

University of North Dakota President Robert Kelley briefs the campus today at noon about the plan to retire the Fighting Sioux nickname.

The university is ending the Fighting Sioux nickname as part of an agreement with the NCAA.

UND is setting up three task forces. They will be led by university faculty. One is called Honoring History and Traditions.
That group will recommend ways to document the 80 year history of the nickname, look for ways to continue use of the logo in non-athletic settings,

A second committee will recommend communication strategies for "an inclusive and transparent" transition to a new nickname.

A third committee is going to be activated later and will develop the process for choosing a new nickname.

The Fighting Sioux nickname will not be used for UND athletic teams after August 15, 2011.

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DNR seeks input on Lake Vermilion State Park master plan

Posted at 10:10 AM on September 8, 2010 by Tom Robertson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Environment, Government, Regions, Sports & Recreation

The DNR is taking another step toward development of Minnesota's newest state park. The agency is looking for public comment on what people want to see in the new Lake Vermilion State Park in northeast Minnesota.

Lake Vermilion State Park was established earlier this summer when the state closed on a 3,000-acre land transaction with U.S. Steel.

The DNR is asking people to respond to a short questionnaire.

The questionnaire includes 19 questions. They explore the kinds of experiences and facilities Minnesotans would like to have in their newest state park. The process takes most people around five minutes to complete.

"We'd like this to be a year-round destination," says state Parks and Trails Director Courtland Nelson. "So we're asking everyone to think about what would entice you to come to the park in the winter as well as the summer."

The questionnaire will be available through the end of September. Answers will be used by DNR staff and the park's Citizen Advisory Committee to guide the master planning process.

Another public input period will happen later this fall, when the DNR will ask for comments on the draft park master plan.

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Your handy guide to Minnesota State Fair guides

Posted at 9:56 AM on August 26, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Photo courtesy the Minnesota State Fair

There are no right answers here, only personal preferences.

Here's the issue: Do you like to wing it at the State Fair, veering wherever the sights, sounds and smells take you? Or do you prefer to hit the grounds with a strategic plan of attack -- where to park, which barns to hit first, which foods to eat in which order?

If you're in the wing-it camp, move along. Nothing to see here.

But if you're a planner, dig into these sites to map out your day (or days) at the State Fair.

This is a splashy site heavy on graphics and sliding images promoting all the fun stuff to do. Once your eyes adjust, you can find all the basic information -- maps, schedules, ticket prices and much more.

What's new: You can print the schedule for just the day you plan to visit, instead of having to print the entire fair schedule.

Don't miss: The fair Media Guide is a PDF packed with fair stats and trivia.

On your phone: The State Fair mobile site will help you navigate the grounds if you want to geek out and spend time staring at your phone instead of checking out the huge carp in the DNR fish tank.

The state's largest newspaper put together a solid online guide. The newspaper offers up feature articles, event guides and other good stuff.

Don't miss: State Fair quiz
Sample question:
Which musical act has made the most Grandstand appearances?
- Six Fat Dutchmen
- Willie Nelson
- Beach Boys
- Alabama

Fat guide: State Fair food calorie counter
Yes, it's State Fair time, and by the end of today (or any of the 11 following days), many of us will have to pay for the extra baggage that comes with the fair (and we're not talking about free literature and shopping bags). You know what I mean. That roasted ear of corn with butter that dribbles down your arm comes at a cost. So do the French fries dangling from your fingers. As for the cheese curds? Well, eat them slowly, because it will take plenty of time to burn them off.
FOOT-LONG HOT DOG
With bun, condiments, 540 calories, 31 g fat, 5.5 miles to walk

The Pioneer Press put together a slick interactive feature that makes it easy to cruise through maps and schedules.

Don't Miss: The Daily Corndog -- A minute at the State Fair

Disclosure: I work here.
Don't miss: Cool large-format pictures of fairgrounds architecture.
Don't miss II: State Fair live web cam

This Twin Cities entertainment site put up a good package of fair-related features.
Don't miss: Guide to free music at the fair.
One of the things we love about the Minnesota State Fair is all the free stuff. If you've already paid the admission price, you might as well get your money's worth. We've scoured through the many free shows and picked out the best ones. From country to rock, this year's free stages are packed with some great performers ready to get you on your feet and ready to groove.

Don't miss: WCCO prizes and free stuff
WCCO is once again giving away prizes and selling stuff at the Minnesota State Fair. Check out some of the cool things you can get this year like the energy saving hat shown below, given free to all fairgoers while supplies last.

Blogger Bill Roehl has penned several fair-related posts worth your time.
Don't miss: New food at the fair
My must dos are the O'Gara's sweet potato tots, Manny's Tortas, and the Korean Moon BBQ tacos. Kinda sad that the list is so short but I suppose that leaves me more room for all my favorites such as fried green tomatoes, roasted corn, beer, stir fry with tons of Sriracha, olives on a stick, etc.

New this year: State Fair bingo cards
After looking through the Great Minnesota Get Together Bingo Cards available, we decided that a handful of the options were not appropriate and The Wife set out on a mission to recreate these cards with her own options based on personal observation and research done, via Flickr, of the people and things seen at the MN State Fair. In addition to those more suited for adults, she has also created a series of cards just for children which include mostly animals and State Fair booths. The Wife went on to add more than 100 new options. Wow!

Children's book author and illustrator Debra Frasier captures the sights and sounds of the Minnesota State Fair in her new children's book, "A Fabulous Fair Alphabet." Frasier is the Minnesota State Fair Foundation's "author-in-residence."

Don't miss: As a companion to the book, Frasier created sheets to encourage kids to write down words they see at the fair. Parents can download the game on Frasier's web site.

She also shot a promotional video:

This is a blog dedicated to the State Fair. Click through to delve into one man's obsession.

Example:
One day left, and then it's back to the fair. After 10 years of posting daily photo sets (don't believe me? check the "120 days at the fair" link under "State Fair Pictures" in the side bar), it's time to relax a bit. I still plan to go every day, and many days I will be toting around my camera. But I'm just going to do photography excursions when I have the dedicated time for it. The rest of the time I will just have to content myself with being a mere prop on Minnesota's grandest stage.

Don't miss: He's on Twitter, too:

Another fair blog. It is dedicated to "The people and the patterns; the colors and the comedies; the peculiar and the provocative."
Don't miss: Beyond the Stick's fair photo blog.

The magazine did a nice sneak peek at the fine arts contests
Artist and l'etoile homie, Dillon Bakke and photographer Mallory Lighter got a sneak peek of this year's Fine Arts show at the State Fair, and we're pleased to see some familiar faces! Around 400 Minnesota artists were accepted to the annual juried show, plucked from a pool of thousands of submissions. The Fine Arts Building (located on the corner of Randall & Cosgrove) is a great place to lay eyes on new work from artists--some known, some unknown--hailing from all around the state.

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Will Harvin and Morneau join list of Minnesota stars sidelined too soon?

Posted at 1:15 PM on August 19, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin on Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt York)

It's not looking good for Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin. He's struggled for years with migraines. Today's troubling news is that he's been taken off the practice field in an ambulance.

Certainly the team and sports fans are hoping Harvin will be OK -- and that he'll be able to play this year.

But the recurring nature of Harvin's health issue definitely will make a lot of fans wonder if he'll be back this season -- or ever. It would be a real setback for the Vikings and a disappointing end to a promising career.

Same goes for Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. He's been out since July after suffering a concussion during a game. Although Morneau's been making progress, some nervous Twins fans have been wondering if he will ever return.

Hopefully this list is premature, but Harvin's situation and Morneau's injury got me thinking about other Minnesota sports star's whose careers ended much too early. I'm not thinking of aging players who called it quits due to injury after their prime. I'm talking about guys either on the way up or at their peak.

So far, I've come up with two fairly obvious ones ... John Castino and Kirby Puckett. I'm sure I'm missing some others. Add yours to the comments below.

This one sticks with me because I was just becoming a die-hard Twins fan when Castino made his mark.
I remember loving his defensive gems. And I was young enough to take pride in a Twins player winning the Rookie of the Year award, which Castino did in 1979.

My disappointment over a back problem ending Castino's career lasted a long time. It just seemed so unfair.

Here's a summary of Castino's career from Baseball Reference.

John Castino was the 1979 Rookie of the Year whose career ended prematurely due to chronic back pain. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1976 amateur draft. ... He became the regular third baseman for the 1979 Twins, winning the rookie award. He played in 148 games, although he had only 393 at-bats. His batting line was .285/.331/.397, and he had 8 triples. The next year, 1980, was even better for Castino. He hit .302/.336/.430, with 13 home runs and 7 triples. ... The back problems got to him, though, as he played only 8 games in 1984, hitting .444/.531/.481 at the age of 29.

Kirby Puckett speaks while being inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. (Photo by Henny Ray AbramsAFP/Getty Images)

Puckett makes this list because he was still a productive star when his career got cut short. He was having a fine season in 1995 when he got beaned in the face in late September.

The next spring, he woke up one day and couldn't see out of his right eye. Surgery and therapy couldn't get his vision back and Minnesota's most charismatic sports star was done playing.

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Minnesota team makes Little League World Series

Posted at 10:35 AM on August 16, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

The Plymouth-New Hope 12-year-old All Stars (Photo from Plymouth-New Hope Little League.)

For the first time since 2007, a Minnesota team will play in the Little League World Series this year.

A squad of 12-year-old boys from the Plymouth-New Hope Little League qualified for the big tournament with a win Saturday during the Midwest finals in Indianapolis.

The young players will venture to South Williamsport, Pa. Tuesday. Their first game in the World Series will be 2 p.m. Friday against a team from Pearland, Texas. The first round of the series is a double-elimination format.

Now the Plymouth-New Hope team gets to enjoy some star treatment. There will be a hometown sendoff Monday evening. They'll fly to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, while many of their parents and fans will make the trek on the road.

The team's first game will be streamed live on ESPN3. And if the Minnesota boys keep winning, their games will be on ABC.

They'll be aiming to fare better than a Coon Rapids team that made the World Series in 2007. That team was eliminated in the first round by winning one game and losing two.

Here's a roundup of coverage of the Minnesota team's 2010 Little League World Series run:

LittleLeague.org:
Plymouth/New Hope (Minn.) Little League Earns Berth in Little League Baseball World Series Capturing Midwest Title
Plymouth/New Hope (Minn.) Little League claimed the Midwest Region Championship, 8-3, over Rapid City, South Dakota's Canyon Lake Little League Saturday at Stokely Field in Indianapolis.

Star Tribune:
Metro area baseball team advances to Little League World Series
A team from the northwest metro is heading to the Little League World Series. Talor Blustin hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning and Colin Quinn followed with a solo shot to power the Minnesota All Stars, a team from the Plymouth/New Hope Little League Association, to an 8-3 win over the Canyon Lake Little League team from Rapid City, S.D. in the championship game of the Midwest Regional tournament in Indianapolis.

KARE11:
Plymouth-New Hope little league team is World Series bound
After winning the Midwest Regional championship and punching their ticket to the Little League World Series, a youth baseball team from Plymouth-New Hope returned home Sunday. But they will not be here very long. The team leaves for Williamsport, Pa. on Tuesday morning. "They get one shot at this in their life and to be able to get there, it's a very special thing," said John Vecere, the team's head coach.

Plymouth-New Hope Little League: All-Star send off
Don't miss the opportunity to send off the Plymouth New Hope 12 Year Old All Stars as they get ready for Williamsport. The send off is Monday, August 16 at 6:30pm at the Zachary Lane Playfields.

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Cool videos let you fly like a bird over scenic Minnesota

Posted at 11:00 AM on August 12, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (3 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Steve Russell is a former Navy pilot and retired law-enforcement officer from Apple Valley. His taste for adventure lives on with his hobby of flying a powered parachute over some of Minnesota's most scenic landscapes.

He shoots video of his flights with an HD camera mounted on the aircraft. Then he does a fine job editing his video into flyover highlights that are perfect for vicarious sightseeing.

When I first saw a picture of Russell in his flying contraption, my first thought was, "I'd never go up in that thing."

But Russell, who has logged 1,400 hundred hours piloting Navy jets, said the powered parachute is a safe, dummy-proof aircraft. It takes off, flies and lands at 30 mph.

It's almost impossible for a pilot to cause a stall, he said. And even in a crisis (like engine failure or pilot medical emergency), the aircraft will glide to the ground.

Russell, 66, said he fell in love with low-and-slow flying years ago.

"This is as close as you can get to seeing what a bird sees," he said. "It's just an awesome experience."

Russell's bird of choice is a Gemini Star powered by a Rotax 503 50-horsepower engine. His camera is a Sony HDR-SR11.

Check out a few of his videos below. He's got more on his 'photoguy73' YouTube channel.

FYI - The first video features Enya in the soundtrack. The second one gives you an upbeat Johnny and the Hurricanes song.

UPDATE 2:17 p.m.: Can't believe I missed this the first time through, but my MPR colleague Drew Geraets noticed in the 2nd video ('Explore Minnesota v5') that Russell has some fun flying over deer. The animals appear a bit spooked by the low-flying machine. Jump to the 1:14 mark to see the deer scamper.

UPDATE 8:05 a.m. Friday: Steve Russell got in touch with me to make clear he wasn't "chasing" the deer. He's right that it's hard to say he's chasing them, so I offered my apology for posting my colleague's tweet as part of this post.

Here's Steve's message:

I do not set out to "chase" deer. I love wildlife of all types. I like to show deer in my videos as part of the beauty I see from the air. Sometimes I see them below me. Sometimes I turn to put them in the center of the frame. I do not pursue them other than to try to get them in the frame. And it is never for more than a few seconds. Deer scamper away from everything, it is their nature. They would scamper away from you if you walked out into a field where they are feeding. I don't appreciate your implication.

Friends, flying and fog combined to make this revisit to Rushford, Minnesota a memorable experience.

Explore the ruggedly beautiful limestone ridges and ravines of Houston County in far southeastern Minnesota. Filmed over a 2 day period at the end of July, this video shows some of the hidden places of one of Minnesota's most interesting counties.

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National Geographic picks best Minnesota adventures

Posted at 9:04 AM on August 11, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Minnesota landed three spots on National Geographic's 2010 list of best adventures in the country. (Hat tip to Northland News Center in Duluth.)

Lists like these are entirely objective, of course. Still, on the magazine's map of top adventures, it was nice to see a bunch of dots in Minnesota. (If you click through to the map, take note that the red dots are this year's "best adventures." The blue dots are from last year's list.)

Other Midwestern states didn't fare too well this year. North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska didn't get any top adventures on the 2010 list.

Here's a look at the Minnesota adventures recognized this year, including a blurb from the National Geographic description of the activity.

Hikers walk along the frozen Lake Superior shore in Gooseberry Falls State Park. (MPR Photo/Nate Minor)

Hike the Superior Trail
The 277-mile (365-kilometer) Superior Hiking Trail, which hugs a ridgeline above the Lake Superior shoreline between Duluth and the Ontario border, is the best long hike in the country between the Continental Divide and the Appalachian Trail. It covers rugged terrain--bluffs, cliffs, and the spine of the ancient Sawtooth mountain range--as it traces streams and skirts wild rivers, rises to mighty bluffs overlooking the great lake, and plunges into deciduous forests of birch, aspen, and maple interspersed with redolent stands of boreal spruce and balsam.

A canoe on Sawbill Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. (MPR Photo/Bob Kelleher)

Canoe the Boundary Waters
The Boundary Waters offer some 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) of canoe routes and 2,000 secluded campsites; in other words, it's the perfect territory in which to disappear for a while.

Race the Arrowhead 135
The Arrowhead 135 race is long, difficult, and bitterly cold, but that's all part of the fun. Right? Undoubtedly some competitors question this line of reasoning while standing at the starting line of this 135-mile (217-kilometer) ultramarathon in International Falls, Minnesota, a town that routinely registers the coldest temperatures in the Lower 48 and is more commonly known as Frostbite Falls.

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Denver TV station tells 'life story' of ex-Gopher Eric Decker

Posted at 10:03 AM on August 2, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Eric Decker and small-town Minnesota star in a mini-biopic produced by Fox31 in Denver.

A television reporter and crew traveled to Cold Spring, Minn., to get to know Decker, the former Golden Gophers football receiver who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in April.

The result is a 14-minute film that's heavy on the touching piano music and childhood videos. You'll see an interview with Decker's mom and a reunion between Decker and an elementary teacher. It's quite the star treatment for a guy who was drafted 87th overall in the NFL draft.

A week ago, Decker signed a four-year deal with the Broncos worth about $2.5 million, plus a $732,000 signing bonus, according to the Denver Post.

Here's the Fox31 film, which aired for the first time Saturday, and some "bonus Decker footage."

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Sorry, Delmon, we have to talk about your hot streak

Posted at 8:33 AM on July 26, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Sports & Recreation

Delmon Young follows through with a two-run hit in the ninth for a come-from-behind win in a baseball game July 18 at Target Field. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Four years ago, Delmon Young was a minor-leaguer in trouble. He was serving a 50-game suspension without pay for throwing a bat during a Durham Bulls game. The bat hit an umpire.

It was an ugly incident that would dog Young for years. When the Twins traded for Young in 2007, the bat toss was front and center. Coaches, reporters and fans wondered if Young would develop his potential or flame out as a hot head.

Young's first few seasons with the Twins didn't exactly endear him to the club. He showed flashes of talent, but would sometimes go into funks -- and then not take well to suggestions from coaches.

For the past month, however, Young has come into his own. With key pieces of the Twins in various states of injury or slump, Young has lifted the club in Kirby-like fashion. He's hitting .410 this month, with 5 home runs and 23 RBIs.

True to his now-tolerable form, Young remains quiet around the clubhouse. When reporters asked him about his hot streak, he put them off. As the Star Tribune reports:

"I don't want to think about anything like that right now. I just want to show up every day and go out and play. I don't even like you talking about it right now."

Young has been so good that the bat-throwing incident is a fading memory. Here's how the author of Twins blog OMG MN Twins put it:

Someone showed me this video again today and I actually forgot that he did that, now THAT is how good he has been lately.

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