Moose on the Loose
Below, are pictures from my brother-in-law, Wade Weidner, who took a week long hiking trip recently to Lake Superior's Isle Royale with some of his friends. Scroll down for a close encounter with a MOOSE! Isle Royale is actually a very unique island because of its wolf-moose interactions. Some studies believe that moose swam across Lake Superior in the early 1900's where they survived and thrived for many years before a wolf pack crossed an ice bridge during a winter around 1950. Wolves are the only predator of moose, so it makes for an intriguing place to study the predator-prey relationship because of Isle Royale's isolation. The Moose gets its name from the Algonquian Indian word mooswa, which means "twig eater". When the moose population gets too big on the island, its food supply dwindles from overpopulation, malnutrition sets in and the wolf population begins to prey on weaker, younger moose. The wolf population then begins to thrive until there aren't enough moose to go around, which then prompts the steady decline of the wolf population. Of course, other factors from year to year can impact individual populations: disease, weather, etc. but overall this see-sawing predator-prey effect has been going on for years with scientists following closely behind. For more information on the wolf-moose relationship from Isle Royale's National Park and Rolf Peterson check here:
MN's Fall Foliage from MNDNR:
The MN DNR updates this map regularly during the fall, which shows the states fall color update. Most of the state is approaching the 25% range with nearly 50% of the color showing along the Mississippi River Valley near Wabasha and Winona. Check here for more updates:
Looking Ahead:
The dry weather looks to continue this week with temperatures well above average through at least mid-week. Substantial rainfall does not appear to be in the forecast any time soon. Our weather pattern is very stagnant, which is good news for those who want to get every little bit out of summer while it's here... Keep in mind, the first day of astronomical fall is just under a week away (Monday September 21st).
September Numbers So Far:
From the KMSP Airport
Precipitation: 0.01" (-1.40" from normal for the month)
Temperatures: Average 68.7 degrees (+4.6 degrees above average)
Todd's Outlook
Today: Blue sky, but hazy - sticky, distractingly nice. High: 84
Tonight: Mostly clear, relatively mild. Low: 60
Wednesday: Our balmy September hangs on. Plenty of sun, hard to concentrate. High: 78
Thursday: Mix of clouds and sun, slight chance of a shower. High: 76
Friday: Patchy clouds, but still rain-free. Temperatures a bit closer to average. High: 74
Saturday: Partly sunny, more comfortable. High: 73
Sunday: Clouds increase, slight chance of a few light showers or sprinkles. High: 72
Monday: More clouds, better chance of showers - cooler again. High: 68
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