Tag Archives: MN North: Gunflint Trail

Wilderness Wayfarer: Google Maps Offline

Background, Year 8,

For the last few days I have been hanging out in Grand Marais and the Gunflint Trail region. This reminded me I have been wanting to blog about Google Maps offline usage. Even if you live in a large metropolitan area, Google Maps Offline will help you:

  • Connectivity is never perfect. Google Maps Offline insures your directions work even if you lose your connection.
  • Given your phones’ GPS chip works w/o connectivity, pre-downloaded maps means never getting lost
  • Having downloaded map regions via wifi, you save on your data contracts
  • In northeastern Minnesota next to the Canadian border, having a data connection is a pipe dream

Here are some screenshots from my phone while exploring the wilds on the Northland this weekend.

.1. Looking at Google Maps on my phone. Tap upon my icon to pull down the menu.

.2. This menu appears, and I want to select “offline maps”

.3. I already have some maps downloaded, which Google updates when required. In addition, I may download and name an area specifically desired by me

.4. Given I pressed “select you own map”

These two screenshots were taken while I was in navigation mode. I may zoom in and out as desired. Even without a connection, Google talks out loud and tells me when to make a turn.

Now for some photography …

I was hoping to find some moose. This is the time of the year when moose are in love, but alas, there was no voyeurism for me! Instead, I mainly saw Ruffed Grouse and Common Redpolls.  I am also including a few road signs and sunrise / sunset lighthouse pics from Grand Marais.

A Ruffed Grouse

The ONLY road signs I saw other than United States Forest Service numerical road signs during almost three hours of exploring yesterday afternoon.

Sunset followed by Sunrise of the Grand Marais Lighthouse (last night and this morning)

Sunrise Over the Gunflint Trail

Year 7

Fall is screaming towards Winter on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. I was out enjoying the wilderness shortly before 7 am (just after sunrise). The temperature was 26F. My only question from this most enjoyable morning … where the heck are the Spruce Grouse?! I saw tons of Ruffed Grouse, and I did look in the proper habitat.

Ruffed Grouse at Sunrise … cold but still eating!

Gunflint Lake … looking towards Canada.

Poplar Lake … losing heat / steaming (video link for email subscribers)

Milky Way over the Cross River (Gunflint Trail)

Year 7
Last night the smoke from western wildfires cleared out of the area. I took this image of the Milky Way where the Cross River flows into Gunflint Lake. The reeds were illuminated by about 1/2 second of light painting (i.e. I shined my flashlight on the scene so very quickly). Camera settings were: Sony A6300, Rokinon wide angle manual lens, ISO = 3,200, Aperture = 2.0, Exposure = 25 seconds.
 
This photograph demonstrates why last week the International Dark Sky Association named the BWCA the 13th dark sky gem in North America. The night sky where I took this photograph is rated a “one”, the best score possible in terms of darkness.
 
While I was on location last night for 45 minutes, the temperature fell from 42F to 37F. By 7 am this morning the temperature was 26F near Seagull Lake (low boggy area).
 
This image is so much better than the photograph I took a few nights ago. I finally had the clear skies I wanted … no moisture or forest fire smoke. Learn how I planned the shot.