The St. Croix River, the free-flowing boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota, is a federally protected National Scenic Riverway. The area’s first recorded human inhabitants were the Dakota Indians, whose lands were transformed by fur trade empires and the loggers who called it the “river of pine.” A patchwork of farms, cultivated by immigrants from many countries, followed the cutover forests. Today, the St. Croix River Valley is a tourist haven in the land of sky-blue waters and a peaceful escape for residents of the bustling Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan region. North Woods River is a thoughtful biography of the river over the course of more than three hundred years. Eileen McMahon and Theodore Karamanski track the river’s social and environmental transformation as newcomers changed the river basin and, in turn, were changed by it. The history of the St. Croix revealed here offers larger lessons about the future management of beautiful and fragile wild waters.

Someone once asked me how much I charge to guide people into the woods. “That’s free,” I explained. “Anyone can get themselves into the woods. You pay me to get you out.” Can anyone really know the northern forest? It is something you feel more in your heart than in your head. You may be able to locate your place on a map, but can you pinpoint the places the forest has hold of your soul? For more than forty years, Maine Guide Earl Brechlin has sought the answers. Through this series of interconnected essays, Brechlin recounts the annual canoe trips to the North Maine Woods he has made with a small group of friends, closing with the death of his twin brother and the group’s last trip to spread his brother’s ashes in the place he loved best. Often humorous and thrilling at once, the heartfelt narrative is peppered with tidbits of history, woods lore, and sage advice from a seasoned outdoorsman. What shines through is the author’s profound love of the natural world and his place in it.

Whether hearing wood frogs peep, choosing the finest skipping stone, observing squirrels gathering nuts, or inhaling crisp, cold air, a hike through Grandma's woods engages all the senses.

"[T]his book is the bible for those of us hoping to experience the best whitewater in the Northwoods. It features technical yet spirited descriptions of every significant run in the area, plus colorful tales of the author's journeys. A detailed rating system assists kayakers and canoers in choosing the best river for their level of experience, while accurate maps and a user-friendly layout lead paddlers straight to their chosen whitewater rivers and creeks"--Page 4 of cover.

This is your guide to the Northwoodsí seasonal changes. It is organized in chapters that cover every two weeks, from fall through winter. Gain insight into the natural world in sequence. Learn about dragonflies, hummingbirds, wood frogs and more.

Sam West thought he knew what it was like to feel alone in the world. He had spent the better part of his childhood abandoned by his mother, neglected by his alcoholic father, and ignored by every foster parent he was sent to. Sam decides to find his mother in search of a future with the woman he barely remembers. But when his bush plane crashes in Northern Ontario, a vast expanse of untamed wilderness, Sam is the sole survivor and utterly alone.Determined to live and somehow make it back to civilization, Sam uses every ounce of knowledge to fight the elements, the treacherous predators, and most of all, to keep his head in the game of survival. After a near-death encounter with a bear shakes him to his core, the appearance of a mysterious mountain man surprises him the most.Together, they embark upon a long journey to find the world again, a world that will be forever different to these survivors. But Sam also finds something he never thought possible; he finds the friendship and the love he always wanted, forged in the solitary landscape of the wilderness. This teen and young adult wilderness story is a treat for those who relish wilderness survival thriller and adventure books. The unputdownable suspense filled novel is an educational and highly entertaining read -- teaching the art of bushcraft and more importantly, the art of living.

Available again, six tales of Kingdom County, Vermont