Piragis Northwoods Company
105 North Central Avenue
Ely, Minnesota 55731
1-800-223-6565
www.piragis.com
October 21, 2010
Your Friends in the Great Northwoods

News from Piragis Northwoods Company and the BoundaryWatersCatalog.com:

"Thanks Piragis for renting us another kevlar canoe - it was in great shape and
easy to portage. We had a great trip again - here are some of the images we saw
along the way." Craig Wood, Minneapolis 
 


Mark these dates on your calendar and call us to book your spots on our Guided Wilderness Adventures today. If you'd like to customize a Guided Group trip with your own group and preferred dates, call Drew or Bert at 1-800-223-6565. The possibilities for a Guided Trip of a Lifetime are endless in the Boundary Waters!

Smallmouth Fishing Extravaganza June 4 - 10
Loon Watchers Delight June 25 - July 1
Women Exploring Wilderness July 9 - 15
Howling with the Canoe Country Wolves Aug 20 - 26
Star Gazing in the Boundary Waters August 27 – September 2 (New moon is on Aug 29)
Autumn Colors -- Nature's Paintbrush Explosion Sept 24 - 30

We're also kicking around the idea of doing a first ever Walking with Boundary Waters Bears trip in conjunction with the North American Bear Center here in Ely. This trip is still in the idea stage, but that doesn't mean you can't sign up and help us begin a fantastic new adventure. Also, new for 2011, will be a Guided Wilderness Kayak Adventure in the BWCAW.

Call Drew or Bert at 1-800-223-6565



2010 Used Outfitting Gear is ON SALE NOW -- Still lots of great gear left!

At the end of every canoe camping season, we sell all of our experienced camping gear at a great discount off regular retail prices.



Used camping gear and paddling gear at great prices. This gear has experienced the Boundary Waters Canoe Camping Area Wilderness and Quetico Park and is ready for you to acquire at savings guaranteed to make you forget it has already been broken in!



You're invited to Africa with Steve Piragis:

Africa holds a special place in my heart. There is something that I cannot quite put my finger on that happens when light of the sun comes crawling up the ancient rocks in the country where life began. It is illuminating in deeper ways than I've found words for. It lights you up from the inside out. Life is teeming everywhere, and yet all life, hangs on the precarious balance of water. The same water that is so near and dear to us for recreation. Laying my head down on at night on the wide expanse of the African plains, listening for the growl of Lions was eye opening to say the least. No other place on Earth that I've travelled has filled my heart and head with such appreciation of nature or love of life.

I've always wanted to blend this overwhelming sense of adventure and intrigue with paddling. This Winter in February a group of us are going to Safari and Kayak in Tanzania.


We'll be doing 9 days of Safari and 3 days of kayaking. Our itinerary takes us to the most beautiful places to in Tanzania. We use first class gear from the US and Australia. All of our boats, which are fiberglass, have been handmade by our guide and have been designed to provide comfort and stability. We carry radios, satellite phones, tow ropes and all other necessary gear for your comfort and safety.

Our trips are designed for all levels of kayak experience including those who have never paddled before. They will provide a sense of fun and adventure.

Check out the Trip Itinerary, Guide Bios and Photo Gallery at:
http://www.piragis.com/africaadventure2010.html

Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have about the trip or to reserve your spot today! Thank you for taking the time to read my adventurous note, and if you know of someone who may be interested in making memories in Africa, please forward it to them.

Steve Piragis, Piragis Northwoods Company.

1-800-223-6565 or my cell phone number: 218-343-3294 steve@piragis.com



What's in the News? DID YOU KNOW?

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has declared Common or European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) as restricted noxious weeds. This means that the sale, transportation or movement of these plants is prohibited statewide by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
 
Buckthorn is not native to this country. Common or European buckthorn, and glossy buckthorn are the two non-native invasive buckthorn species found in Minnesota. European buckthorn was first brought to the state from Europe in the mid-1800s as a very popular hedging material. It escaped and became a nuisance plant, forming dense thickets in forests, yards, parks, and roadsides. It crowded out native plants and displaced the native shrubs and small trees in the mid-layer of the forest where many species of birds nested. European buckthorn is found nearly every Minnesota county, despite the fact that the sale, transport, and movement of these plants is prohibited. Glossy buckthorn, also from Europe, has been sold by the nursery trade in two different forms. The cultivar “Columnaris” is narrow and tall; the cultivar “Aspenifolia” spreads up to 10 feet and has narrow leaves that give it a ferny texture.

What can we do? Read more and find out here:
http://bit.ly/buckthornp



SAVE MONEY ON Bending Branches Canoe Paddles
Check out blem Bending Branches Paddles at 30% off.


The Book Review Corner by Anna Shallman

The Trade


I didn't have time to read all 510 pages in one setting, but I did go through 375 straight. This story is compelling and heartfelt. It is both intriguing and disturbing at the same time, reading like a mystery as the action pulls you along. The author blends different points of view well and paints characters that you end up loving to hate and wondering why you care so much about. The rolling waters that carried the early Voyageurs brought year after year to cover their memories, drown their deeds, and "water-down" their feats of strength. What the harsh weather and environment couldn't dampen, the "Company" finally stole away from them, physically, mentally and spiritually. A fine read! -- Tim Stouffer.

The Trade by Fred Stenson. 1822. The Hudson's Bay Company is about to exercise its uncontested monopoly over the lands drained by Hudson Bay. The first step is to find a new source of beaver pelts and profits, and the only hope lies in the unmapped territory held by the Blackfoot speaking Indian tribes. With little information, the new governor of the territory mounts an expedition into the heart of this unknown land - a journey that will test the mettle of a new generation of Hudson's Bay Company men. This brilliant novel, written between the lines of official history, tells an incredible story of those who were ruled by the often brutalizing fur trade. 510 pages.



Help support Ely Schools by voting for a $20,000 grant online.

Want to help Ely out and have 2 minutes to spare?

Contest info:

The "America’s School Spirit Challenge" Contest is a nationwide contest sponsored by Care2.com and GreatSchools.org designed to award schools across the United States with a cash prize to support their students. It is also an effort to reward the teachers, parents, students and communities that are making an extraordinary difference. The contest is a fun, interactive campaign, because Americans determine who will win by voting for their favorite school and encouraging friends to do the same. Winning school will be awarded $20,000. Voting is 1 vote per person (us resident 18 and over) and voting ends Nov. 12.

http://www.care2.com/schoolcontest/2704/054/

Thanks so much to our friends and fans of Lily the Black Bear on Facebook for all your support for the Ely Area through fund-raising efforts and visits to Ely in this past year. You folks do so much behind the scenes. Thanks for your votes on this contest!



Special Sales from the Boundary Waters Catalog

Another one of our Spectacular Seven Day Sales



Princeton Tec Quad Headlamp
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,6040.html
Item # P6090056
List Price $34.99
Your Price: $24.49



Northwoods Dry Fly
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,5444.html
Item # C0500037
List Price $200.00
Your Price: $140.00



Skinny Fish 20 Sleeping Bag from Big Agnes
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,6624.html
Item # B1090078
List Price $179.95
Your Price: $125.97



Skinny Fish 20 LONG Sleeping Bag from Big Agnes
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,6796.html
Item # B1090081
List Price $189.95
Your Price: $132.97




Join our Mailing List and get our new Catalog

Sign up today if you're not already on our catalog mailing list. Don’t miss out on all the best gear and canoes for the Boundary Waters and beyond! Click here to send me an email with your name and mailing address and sign up now. Please forward this newsletter to your paddling friends who might like to get the best gear available and a catalog in the mail that is actually fun to read. Lots of folks think of us as their sourcebook for all things Canoeing and we try hard to live up to that expectation. We also have a fantastic selection of unique book titles and gifts.

Check out our New Items Online:

http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/new.htm




STUFF that Works!

Got a favorite Piragis piece of gear or clothing? Email us your comments and we'll post them!
 email to mac@piragis.com

Last summer I purchased my husband a pair of the Boundary Waters Canoe pants.  We no longer canoe, but I liked the way they looked.   He works for Gander Mountain in Aurora, Colorado in the fishing department, and is the fly fishing guru there.  About once a week, Dave gets to clean out the bait tanks, and as you can imagine, it is wet, smelly work.  Pants that he wore on that lucky day would come home spotted and smelly.  I thought that these pants would be the best option for him to wear, and they are!  He has worn these pants once a week for over a year, and after I wash and hang them, they still look practically new!
 
Forward 14 months, and I find myself in Ely once again, mainly because it is our favorite place for vacation.  I wandered into Piragis and saw the 2010 version of the canoe pants.  I really like the changes that were made on the pants, especially the flaps on the back pockets.  I got those for him, and 2 of the Croakies belts -- one that looks like a brown trout and the other that looks like a brook!   I was happy to buy these items for Dave, and he was excited to get them!
 
Thank-you Piragis, for another quality product!!
Nan Ziegler

SAVE $20 ON PIRAGIS PANTS through Noon tomorrow.

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