Notes and Travel Routes
for the Duluth, MN trip

4 - 7 February 2005

Notes:

The first Common Raven on the drive north from Chicago to Duluth (Cindy, Wes, Geoff) was spotted about 10 miles north of Black River Falls in Jackson County, Wisconsin. The next Common Raven that was spotted was about 10 miles south of Spooner in Washburn County, Wisconsin. On the drive back south, Jill, Sigrid and Geoff had a Common Raven 8.0 miles west of Necedah and two more in Necedah National Wildlife Refuge as their southernmost sightings.

On the drive between Chicago, IL and Duluth, MN the Northern Hawk Owls we spotted were at the following locations:

  1. at Lakeside Road and US 53 in Washburn County, Wisconsin, approximately two miles south of the Washburn County / Douglas County line;
  2. at Hagman Road and US 53, one mile south of CR L, in Douglas County, Wisconsin.

The Northern Hawk Owls we spotted in St. Louis County, MN on February 5, 2005 were at the following locations:

  1. on McDavitt Road 0.6 miles north of the Sax Road (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  2. on Stone Lake Road about 0.5 miles east of CR 7 (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  3. on CR 7 about 2 miles south of Stone Lake Road (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  4. on CR 7 about 1.5 miles north of Sax (Sax-Zim Bog area) [I might have marked the location of this bird one or two miles north of where it actually was];
  5. on CR 7 about 0.5 miles north of Sax (Sax-Zim Bog area) [I might have marked the location of this bird one or two miles north of where it actually was];
  6. a second bird at the same location (CR 7, 0.5 north of Sax);
  7. on CR 7 about 0.5 miles north of Sax (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  8. on Arkola Road 0.75 miles west of Owl Avenue (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  9. on CR 5 1.5miles south of Arkola Road (just southwest of Sax-Zim Bog area);
  10. a second bird at the same location (on CR 5 1.5miles south of Arkola Road).

The Great Gray Owls we spotted in St. Louis County, MN on February 5, 2005 were at the following locations:

  1. on McDavitt Road 0.9 miles north of the Sax Road (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  2. on CR 7 1.5 miles north of Arkola Road (Sax-Zim Bog area);
  3. on CR 29 4.2 miles north of MN 73 (northeast of Floodwood).
The Barred Owl we spotted in St. Louis County, MN on February 5, 2005 was on CR 196 about one mile south of CR 133 near Skull Creek(southwest of the Meadowlands area).

The Northern Hawk Owl we spotted in Carleton County was on MN 73 south of the St. Louis / Carleton County border about one mile north of MN 210. The Northern Hawk Owls we spotted in Aitkin County, MN on February 5, 2005 were at the following locations:

  1. on CR 16 0.5 miles south of MN 210 (near town of Tamarack);
  2. on CR 16 at 420th Street (three miles north of intersection of CR 16 with CR 30, which is north of the town of Lawler);
  3. on CR 18 at US 169 (about 11 miles south of Hill City);
  4. on MN 200 somewhere between Hill City and Rabey.

The Great Gray Owls we spotted in Aitkin County, MN on February 5, 2005 were at the following locations:

  1. on CR 16 between 0.25 and 0.5 miles south of 420th Street (about two miles north of the intersection of CR 16 with CR 30, which is north of the town of Lawler);
  2. on MN 65 one mile north of CR 30 (south of the town of McGregor);
  3. on CR 5 just north of Jenkins Lake (about four miles south of the town of Palisade);
  4. on CR 5 2.0 miles north of Palisade;
  5. on CR 5 2.5 miles north of Palisade.

The Great Gray Owl we spotted in Lake County, MN on February 6, 2005 was just north of mile marker 40 on MN 61 (a little north of the Gooseberry River).

Routes:

Chicago, IL to Duluth, MN (Cindy, Wes and Geoff) on February 4, 2005.

I-90 W out of Chicago, IL to Madison, WI, on I-90/94 W to Tomah, WI, then staying on I-94 W to Eau Claire, then US 53 N to Duluth, MN.

St. Louis and Aitkin Counties, MN on February 5, 2005, with reference to Inset C - Sax-Zim Bog (St. Louis Co.) and Inset A - Palisade Area (Aitkin Co.) in Eckert's book and to the MN DeLorme.

US 53 north to CR 133 (entering St. Louis Inset C of Eckert's book), west to CR 229, north to CR 29, north to Owl Avenue, north to Arkola Road, east to Stickney Road, north to Sax Road, east to McDavitt Road, north to Zim Road, east to CR 7, south to Stone Lake Road, east on Stone Lake Road 2.5 miles and then back west to CR 7, south to Arkola Road, west to CR 5 (leaving Inset C), south to CR 133, west to CR 196 (Elmer Road in the Delorme), south to CR 29, south to MN 73, south to Floodwood (lunch), continue south on MN 73 MN 210 at Cromwell, west to Tamarack Lake Road in Wright, south one mile and then back north to MN 210, west to CR 16, south to CR 30, west to MN 65, north to MN 210, west to CR 5, south two miles (just past first plastic owl) and then back north on CR 5 across MN 210 (entering Inset A), continuing north on CR 5 to Twp Rd 380, west 3.0 miles and then back east two miles to a road going north, north on this two miles (Bohemian Waxwings along the way) to turn going east and one mile east back to CR 5, north to CR 18, west to Pietz's Road, north 1.5 miles and back south to CR 18, west to US 169, north to MN 200 at Hill City (leaving Inset A), east to US 2, east to MN 194, east to US 53, south to Duluth.

Lake County, MN on February 6, 2005.

MN 61 north to CR 2 in Two Harbors, north to CR 15, jogging east a half mile to and then continuing north on CR 2 to MN 1, east to Mitawan Lake Road (marked as FR 177 and labeled with this name in Eckert's book, marked as FR 177 in the DeLorme, signed as CR 703 in "real life"), north on this to Grouse Lake then back south to MN 1, east through Isabella and continuing south on MN 1, south to CR 4, south to MN 61, south to Two Harbors, then south on MN 61 to Duluth.

Duluth MN to Chicago, IL (Jill, Sigrid and Geoff) on February 7, 2005.

US 53 south to Eau Claire, I-94 E to WI 21 in North Tomah, east on WI 21 to Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (north on Headquarters Road to Grand Dyke Road, west to 6th Avenue, north to 12 St. W, east to 6th Ave, north to 11 St. W, east to 7th Ave, south to Speedway Rd, south and east to WI 80, south to 19th St, west to ??, south to ?? which after going west becomes Grand Dyke Road, west to 9th Ave, south to WI 21, east to Necedah), south on WI 80 to CR Q, south to I 90/94 at Mauston, east on I 90/94 to I-90 to I-90/94 to Chicago.

This page was last updated on 11 February 2005.
Contact Geoff Williamson with any comments, updates or suggestions.