Bryan Hansel

A little selfie action at sunrise this morning for fun.

Winnewissa Falls in Pipestone National Monument. I love our public lands and want them to remain preserved for future generations, so I’m voting with that in mind. I’ll be voting straight-line Democratic, because it’s the only way to put a check on the movement that wants to sell them off.

This is probably the best wildlife photo that I will ever take in my life.

In his October 21, 1926 column Olaf writes about the potential of a "hard" winter and a scarlet fever outbreak in Grand Marais that has many in quarantine.

Back in September, I wrote that I hadn't seen any replicas built of the 1865 St. Francis 2-Fathom Canoe until Evan B. sent me photos of Now, we have another cedar-strip replica built by Ph. Payen. I love the white paint!

Who are you looking at?

A few photos from Duluth over MEA weekend

On October 14, 1926, Olaf Thorvaldsen predicts the first snow. He reports that the radio station is fixed, and that he and Miss Fjell did not get married at the state fair despite the rumors. He's very specific in stating the state fair. Maybe they they got married somewhere else in St. Paul?

October 7, 1926 Weather from the Hill, Olaf Thorvaldsen | Cook County News Herald

In his September 30, 1926 Weather from the Hill column, Olaf Thorvaldsen writes about a terrible hurricane, more radio station problems, and announces that he and Miss Fjell will speak at the library about their state fair trip.

The fall color near Grand Marais is really good this year

A wedding, a hurricane, and a poem in Olaf Thorvaldsen's 1926 weather column.

In his 1926 column, Olaf Thorvaldsen returns from the state fair and apologizes for the radio station programs while he was gone.

Nels Erickson takes over the radio station and weather column for Olaf Thorvaldsen while Olaf is at the state fair. There's trouble at the radio station.

Evan B. built a cedar strip version of the 1865 St. Francis 2-Fathom Canoe that appears as Figure 80 in The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. It could be the first time this canoe design has hit the water in over 100 years.

In 1926, Olaf Thorvaldsen writes about the Minnesota State Fair and the wet September weather and travel.

Olaf Thorvaldsen writes about the Grand Marais Trading Post burning down, daredevils walking on planes at the state fair, and his excitement about attending the upcoming state fair with Miss Fjell. From the 1926 newspaper. weather.leaflet.pub/3mtyiqbpekc2j

August 25, 1926 newspaper article mentioning Olaf and the new Grand Marais weather radio station.

On stars, satellites and the changing night sky bryanhansel.substack.com/p/photos-of-...

The DNC has sued the Trump administration for FOIA records because it wants to know whether federal agents are planning to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-system components during the 2026 midterms.

A short book review of Ryan Rodger's Where the Green Light Shines. It tells the story of legendary canoeist Bob O'Hara.

In the August 19, 1926 Olaf Thorvaldsen column in the Grand Marais newspaper, he reports that the weather radio station broadcast for the first time and that a Viking ship arrived in Boston.

I was teaching a photo workshop last week and on the last night of the class, we got a touch of northern lights and meteors.

Sunset in Grand Marais

In the August 12, 1926 paper, Olaf Thorvaldsen announces that the weather station will broadcast for the first time next week. The Grand Marais baseball team and fans heckle the visiting Canadian team. Miss Fjell and Olaf to visit the state fair together! And Olaf returns to John Ruskin.

Olaf Thorvaldsen's Weather From the Hill column from August 5, 1926 is about wildfires, good weather, flowers, a new place to dance, and poetry.

Boundary Waters business meeting

I've made a number of maps that show the current wildfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota and Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario. I updated them with statistics as of today and posted them all on PaddlingLight.

In 1926, Olaf Thorvaldsen, Grand Marais' weatherman, writes about terrible weather across the country and a murder that happened on the highway in Cook County. This is a crazy column.

The classic Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness guidebooks have been updated and reissued as the sixth edition. Stewardship of the series has passed to Louis Dzierzak, and his update makes them as solid as they have been. If you canoe, these should be on your book shelf.

My thoughts on photographing wildfires open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...

Olaf Thorvaldsen's Weather from the Hill weather report from 1926 looks like it'll be accurate again based on the weather data that I have. He also writes about the weather radio station and reports that they will broadcast in August. And Miss Fjell is mentioned. Love interest?

My The 2026 Wildfires of Canoe Country map updated with today's fire perimeters.

The Pentagon is withholding causality and hit numbers. The CDC is withholding infection rates. The FDA is withholding information about food contamination. The EPA is withholding pollution and climate data. This corrupt administration is ALL about concealing the consequences of its incompetence.

The 2026 Wildfires of Canoe Country Canoe country in both Canada and the United States is on fire with major fires burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Quetico Provincial Park, and Wabakimi Provincial Park. Together, these three areas cover over 4,460,000 acres of land and lakes…

Roof Racks That Make You Wonder I thought that a little humor would be in order due to the large wildfires burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Wabakimi Provincial Park, and Quetico Provincial Park, which are some of North America's premiere paddling destinations. I live in Grand…

Back in 1926, Olaf Thorvaldsen, Grand Marais' official weatherman, meets the governor and writes about the weather radio station that they are building.

Trump Decimates Two National Monuments, Affecting Multiple Bikepacking Routes bikepacking.com/news/trump-d...

After a months-long occupation, Minnesota is still recovering from a retribution campaign waged by the federal government. Now, Minnesota stands with Houston in demanding accountability for the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. This bloodshed cannot be normalized.

The Milky Way was brilliant last night!

Olaf Thorvaldsen finds himself among the 4th of July celebrations in the village of Grand Marais in more than one way. Miss Fjell shows up again. I've looked back through his columns and we haven't learned her first name, yet.