Big Bog Recreation Area

Last week I went on assignment to north central Minnesota to cover a fairly new rec. area. As the name suggests, it is a big bog. Not much more than that. The upper area of the state is really, really flat and as a result there is a huge peat bog there. The water does not really have anywhere to go, so it has been sitting there for centuries (?). Our guide said that if you were to squeeze all of the moss in the bog, the volume of water would be enough to cover the state (MN) in a foot of water. If there's ever a huge drought... well you'll know where to find me.

It is not a high flying adventure area like most of the stories I do. Rather it is a botanist, or bird watcher's paradise. Animal sightings can range from wolf or bear to Sandhill cranes and Tundra geese. I personally was most afraid of a moose encounter. I was running (literally) near dusk, to be at a certain spot for sunset and was praying I did not run up on a big moose and startle it. I'd have met my fate under it's gigantic hooves for sure. Then the bears would have eaten me.

You can read more about the bog on my adventure travel partner, Stephen Regenold's "GearJunkie" site. paste this link: http://thegearjunkie.com/trip-report-big-bog-minn


Earlier in the day we flew a Cessna over the bog for a birds-eye-view of the place. We saw elk migration trails that have gone unused for decades, but still scar the land. Also, because the land is so flat, every river zig-zags its way to the nearest lake. From the air they are like black serpents or sometimes like veins and arteries. guess my favorite part was seeing carnivorous plants growing wild. There are pitcher plants and a few others that grow well within view of the boardwalk. That alone is worth the drive.

I cannot post image that were submitted for the article yet, but here are some that I liked from the "2nds" pile. The yellow squiggles were not actually part of the bog, but a farmers field that we flew over. Not sure what made them, but they looked cool from the air.

Look for a follow-up once the article has gone to print.