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The View From

oftheNEWSLETTER Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

V O L U M E X , N U M B E R 2 ~ F A L L 2 0 0 8w w w. l i s t e n i n g p o i n t f o u n d a t i o n . o r g

By Kevin ProescholdtSigurd Olson’s first published article, reprinted here, appeared in the Nashwauk Herald

on July 22, 1921. The article describes Sig’s very first canoe trip in the Quetico-Superior,taken the month before. Nine days later the same article, this time with Sig’s by-line, wouldalso appear in the Milwaukee newspaper that Sig’s brother helped edit. Sig had not yetmoved to Ely at this point in time, but was teaching at Nashwauk on Minnesota’s IronRange. He was just 22 and still single. It would be 35 more years before Alfred A. Knopfpublished Sig’s first book, The Singing Wilderness.

Sig wrote this article in a romantic style perhaps expected of someone his age at thetime, without the benefit of his more polished prose that the subsequent 35 years wouldbring. But the article is still very interesting for a number of reasons, among them theforeshadowing of several aspects of his later life, which include:

Appreciation of Wilderness Aesthetics. Throughout this article, Sig writes about thebeauty he encountered in the Quetico-Superior wilderness. “And so we traveled throughhundreds of lakes and rivers, drunk in the beauties of countless waterfalls, rapids and virginforests, saw naked grandeur as God intended it to be, unscathed by the hand of man.”

Choosing Wilderness over Wealth. Already at age 22, Sig seemed to be choosing alife connected with wilderness over a life in pursuit of worldly wealth. “I do not ever hopeto accumulate worldly wealth, but I shall accumulate something far more valuable, a storeof wonderful memories.”

Glimpses into Spirituality. Sig wrote throughout the piece about his appreciation forGod the Creator of the wilderness he now loved. “God, how beautiful it all is and your soulunconsciously goes out in gratitude to the Creator that has saved this little bit of heaven foryou.”

Presaging his Life’s Work. “When I reach the twilight of life I shall look back andsay, ‘I am glad I lived as I did; life has been good to me.’ I shall not be afraid of deathbecause I will have drunk to the full the cup of happiness and contentment that only closecommunion with nature can give.”

A Rich Wilderness Life

Listening Point

Cruising Through God’s CountryNashwauk Herald, Friday, June 21, 1921

Describes Cruise Thru the Woods; Tells of the Beauty of Northern Minnesota Lakes and Rivers.After making a month's cruise in the north woods and lakes, Sigurd Olson, Charles Sollonen and Henry Hanson returned and stated that it was one of the finesttrips ever made. The following article was written describing the trip, the scenery and the rivers and lakes passed through:

When the great Creator had almost finished our wonderful country he stopped in his labors and pondered. There was one thinglacking, a spot more beautiful than the rest where his children could come and soothe their weary spirits, far from the smoke of citiesand the discordant glamor of industry, unsullied by the hand of man. God saw all that was to happen. He saw the ravaging of ourbeautiful forests, the despoiling of our streams and lakes by the greedy, selfish, unthinking hands of those who know no beauty andsee only in the wonders of nature resources for filling their own already bursting coffers. Continued on page 6

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“But it is in the fall when the aspen’s leaves are masses of old gold and the hillsidesand islands are mirrored in a sea of blue that the days become enchanted and a hush lieslike a benediction over the entire country.” (The Singing Wilderness, p.140)

Olson, while explaining the rationale for selecting various tree species brought intothe family yard, paints a word picture bursting with color and, depending on one’sexperience with nature, emotion.

What effect did the phrase about aspen’s leaves have on you? One need not havedirectly experienced the Boundary Waters Canoe Area for Olson’s words to conjure upsome images of clumps of leaves that could pass for gold or the feeling of beingenveloped by a quiet, peaceful environment. Yet for those who have witnessed andexperienced those aspens in the fall, or the serenity that can over take one while observingthose reflections on a calm body of wilderness water, the emotions can run high.

After reading The Singing Wilderness, will fall aspen leaves or the naturalenvironment ever look the same to you? Sigurd Olson really has given us some incrediblegifts. Through his words and deeds, Olson challenges us to explore nature with a renewedsense of wonder and awareness, to be more at one with the natural environment andexperience nature in all its splendor. While for some of us these challenges may seemmisplaced or overwhelming given the current turbulent financial times, being more at onewith the natural environment is perhaps the prescription that can help us restore ourcollective well-being.

As we journey forward, you are invited to use the Listening Point Foundation for thatbit of inspiration you and your friends might be seeking this season, or to renew yoursense of wonder and awareness about our natural environment. From a visit to the Point,to our updated website (www.listeningpointfoundation.org), to the educational resourcesavailable in the Listening Point Foundation Gift Shop and to the many events hostedthroughout the year by Listening Point Foundation, we are here to serve you.

Thank you to everyone who helped celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the ListeningPoint Foundation. Many of you participated in special events that included the officialunveiling of the National Historic Register plaque in September. We look forward to yourcontinued participation in our work to keep Sigurd Olson’s vision alive throughout thenext decade.

Please take a minute to share with us, via an e-mail, letter or telephone call, what you are doing tofollow Sigurd Olson’s example to be more at onewith the natural environment. I look forward tohearing from you.

—Tim RudnickiYou can reach Tim by telephone at 952-915-1505

or by e-mail at [email protected]

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InsideThis and That 3Remembering Milt Stenlund 3A Historic Touchstone 4Qigong Women

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This and That...• Please note LPF has a new email address: [email protected]

• Fifty years ago in 1958 Sig’s book Listening Point, was released for sale in bookstoreson September 22. The book was published by Alfred Knopf Publishing Co.

• The Listening Point Foundation is pleased to announce that Sigurd Olson biographer, Dr.David Backes, has been appointed to be Literary Agent for Sigurd Olson’s books and otherOlson publications. In this respect, Dr. Backes will oversee the status of Sigurd Olsonbooks, consult and advise with publishers and public on any issues or opportunitiesconcerning the publications, review requests to publish quotations from SFO’s works, andso forth. Previous Literary Agents have been Robert K. Olson, Frances Collin, and MarieRodell. We feel that no one could surpass Dr. Backes in this position. He brings with him aprofound knowledge of Olson’s works and an impressive commitment to the welfare of theSigurd Olson literary legacy.

• Summer visitors to the Point numbered more than 300. Some came with uniquepurposes in mind: two artists spending the day pleine aire painting, a researcher came tofilm Finnish saunas, a small wedding party visited—eight people in attendance completewith tin cans tied to the boats on the trip to the Point, and an individual who wanted to be atSig’s Listening Point on his 50th birthday. It will be interesting to see what visitors we havenext summer.

• The 2008 Ely Blueberry Arts Festival provide LPF with a great opportunity to see oldfriends, add new members to our mailing list, and sell a few of Sig’s books.

• Saturday, September 13th was a day filled with activities: a Board of Directors meetingin the morning, an Advisory Board get together in the early afternoon, and the unveiling ofthe National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) plaque at the Point parking area later in theafternoon which was followed by a wine and cheese reception at Chuck Wick’s yurt. Theday was capped off with a fine dinner in celebration of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary.Exceptional speakers at the event were Don Shelby of WCCO TV, and David Anderson,NRHP researcher. All in all the Ely event was quite a success.

Upcoming Events in 2009

January 10: Board of Directors meeting, Duluth

April 4: annual spring luncheon,Town & County Club of St. Paul

May: LPF spring/summer newsletter publication

May 16: Board meeting, ElyJuly 24-26: Blueberry Arts

Festival, Ely—LPF outreach booth

September: dinner in Ely, place and date to be announced

Fall: Board of Directors meeting, date and place to beannounced

October: LPF fall/winter newsletter publication

November: LPF annual appeal

Milton H. Stenlund, one of LPF's charter Board members,,died at his home on October 20, 2008. He was 89 years old.

Milt was born October 15, 1919 in Ely, Minn. Hegraduated from Ely High School in 1937 and from Ely Jr.College in 1939, where he was a student of Sigurd Olson andlater with whom he became lifelong friends.

Milt served in the Army Air Corps in Australia and NewGuinea in WWII. He married Althea Hocking on January 6,1945. Milton received a B.S. Degree from the University ofMinnesota in 1946 and earned a Masters Degree in 1955. Heworked as a wildlife biologist for the Minnesota Department ofConservation in Ely from 1948 to 1957, was appointedRegional Wildlife Supervisor in Grand Rapids in 1957 andRegional Administrator for the Department of NaturalResources in 1973. He retired in 1982 after 35 years with theDNR.

Milt published many books and articles on wildlife andhistory including Popple Leaves and Boot Oil about his careeras a wildlife biologist in Northern Minnesota and Burntside

Lake: The EarlyDays 1880-1920,which includeshistory of theListening Pointarea. From hisresearch hebecame one of theproponents ofdeclaring thetimber wolf an endangered species and saving the wolf fromextinction. He was instrumental in establishing Soudan StatePark and the International Wolf Center in Ely.

He held memberships in the Izaac Walton League, NatureConservancy, Wildlife Society, and the Rotary Clubs in Ely andGrand Rapids. Throughout his career he received numerousawards, including those from the Minnesota Chapter of theWildlife Society and the Izaac Walton League.

He was preceded in death by his wife Althea in 2007.

LPF Charter Member Milt Stenlund Dies

Milt Stenlund, at right, with his late wifeAlthea and Chuck Wick.

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By Nancy Jo TubbsI think it was listening that made Sigurd Olson a remarkable

writer who touched millions of readers. He named his get-awayListening Point, “a listening post from which I might even hearthe music of the spheres.” It became a base for his manyadventures in the natural worldand its very name came tosymbolize the ways in whichnature intimately resonates withthe human spirit.

WCCO-TV anchor andreporter Don Shelby explainsOlson’s unique writing this way:“When I was a little boy, I read allof the outdoor magazines. Therewas always a picture on the coverof some wild drama, like a hunterfending off a grizzly bear whiledangling from a cliff. Then I readSigurd Olson’s outdoor writing. Itwas gentle. It introduced me to thenature that I recognized from the patch of woods near my house.”

Olson made the natural world familiar to us. He observedintensely and told us what he experienced so that we alsoremembered the feel of the paddle, the sound of the chickadee,the pine scent of our particular patch of woods-and recognized itsmeaning to the world and to our world.

Shelby and about 50 supporters of the Listening PointFoundation gathered on Saturday, September 13 around a pieceof greenstone on the southeastern shore of Burntside Lake, wherea plaque was imbedded announcing that Listening Point is listedon the National Register of Historic Places.

The Point is a spot much like any other Superior NationalForest outcrop of three-billion-year-old Precambrian bedrockscratched by glacial ice about 50,000 years ago. Wild flowers,red and white pine, lichen and grasses grow here, and a sandybeach nestles in the small cove nearby. What makes thisBurntside point notable enough for the historic register is the factthat Olson and his wife Elizabeth bought the land and moved acabin here in the mid-1950s.

Olson had taught at Ely Memorial High School and servedas dean of Ely Junior College while he and Elizabeth raised twoboys, Sigurd, Jr. and Robert. He had come from Chicago andfallen in love with the woods and lakes of northern Minnesota ona canoe trip in 1920. In a booklet about this history, Robert Olsonwrote that his father, “guided canoe trips, ran an outfittingcompany, the Border Lakes, and spent as much time as hepossibly could in the out-of-doors he loved, hunting, fishing,hiking, skiing, dogsledding, showshoeing, canoeing, camping,

picnicking.” After his father’s death, Robert Olson helped formand lead the Listening Point Foundation and contributed the landto the organization.

Sigurd Olson’s experiences led to two endeavors made himfamous. He began writing and he entered the arena of

conservation politics.Success in writing didn’t

come easily, and Olson’s wasnot the style of the grizzly bearand the cliff. He had thenaturalist’s gift of observation,relating the splash of a paddle,the scent of rain and thepatterns of stars, all with thelyric gift of the poet. His firstbook, The Singing Wilderness,was published in 1956 andimmediately became popular.He eventually authored dozensof articles and nine books,including Listening Point.

Historian David Anderson, who wrote the 20-pageapplication for Listening Point’s historic designation reports thatthe first book was a New York Times bestseller, and remains inprint today. He quoted writer Bruce Hutchinson in the SaturdayReview with a description of Olson’s writing:

“A day with such a man in the woods must be an education.Even with the abbreviated compass of a book written rather likea casual yarn around the evening campfire, he manages to mix inan extraordinary amount of information with a picture of thewilderness whole. For to him it is a whole thing, an organic bodyof which all life, from the lichen to the man, is interdependent,logical, and in timeless rhythm.”

In the arena of conservation politics, Olson became acontroversial figure in Ely, where he was hung in effigy, and ahero of conservationists nationwide for his advocacy ofwilderness preservation. His work was significant in thedesignation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, thejettisoning of a plan by lumber magnate Edward Backus to damlakes and streams in the Rainy River watershed, and the creationof the Quetico-Superior as a wilderness area.

Listening Point joins two other National Historic Registericons on the lake-Burntside Lodge established in 1913 and theBull-of-the Woods, a sunken steamboat used in the late 1800's tomove rafts of logs down the lake to Hoist Bay.

Shelby and Anderson, the evening speakers at the Septembercelebration dinner in honor of the Point, talked about the ways inwhich Olson's writing touched the archaic human in his readers.

Listening Point named an historic touchstone for the wilderness ethic

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Listening Point was the location for a Qigong Women inthe Wilderness Retreat workshop on a sunny morning in midJuly. Retreat leaders Rebecca Kali from Ely and Cis Hagerfrom St. Louis, MO brought their group to Listening Pointas part their week long retreat for women which offerswisdom from ancient traditions to bring peace, balance andwell being to modern lives. Here is the account of theirexperience at Listening Point.

We came to Listening Point to introduce our group of 16women to Sigurd Olson’s work and passion for wildernesspreservation in this peaceful and beautiful environmentwhere Sig did so much of his writing. We also chooseListening Point as the perfect location to teach a workshopwhich offers ancient ways of connecting with the spirit ofwilderness.

While walking up the trail to the cabin and enjoying theserenity of the beautiful forest trail, quotes from Sig Olson’swriting on the preservation of wilderness filled the women’sthoughts.

Briefly visiting the cabin we got an impression of the manwho came there to be immersed in the peace and serenity ofwilderness: to be inspired, to be renewed, to be nurtured inbody, mind and spirit. We shared some quotes from Sig’swritings then headed down to the point to begin our outdoorworkshop.

Our group gathered on the lakeshore to practice a gracefulform of Qigong also called Chinese Yoga. The foundationand philosophy of Qigong leads us to develop a greater

understanding of our natural world; that we too are part of it and how we fit in. Later, sitting under the trees or on ledge rock near the lake shore the women spent some time

journaling, inspired much as Sig might have been. Our program at Listening Point also featured aguided meditation as well as other techniques to connect with nature as a whole and with individualnatural elements: trees, rocks, water, sky, and even the soft moss underfoot.

We taught ways to slow down, reduce stress, to really listen and be more open to the messages thatare all around us in the natural world. The group learned ways to reconnect with wilderness, toreconnect with source and how to balance our sometimes chaotic human lives by connecting with ournatural environment.

Members of our Qigong Women in the Wilderness Retreat group found material for personaltransformation and evolution through exposure to Sig Olson’s work and our special experience ofListening Point. Some of the women's comments were: “My experience at Listening Point was lifechanging and helped me to regain a connection with nature,” and “... a wilderness experience to centerand ground you, leaving you with hope and vitality to inspire your life one mindful step at a time.”

We are grateful to the Listening Point Foundation for the privilege of visiting Listening Point andto Alanna Johnson for all her help in providing information on Sig’s life and work and making itpossible for our group to have such a fantastic experience at Listening Point.

—Rebecca Kali lives in Ely. She is founder and director of Qigong Alliance International, a globalcommunity with members from 49 countries (www.QiCentral.org). Kali teaches meditation and Qigonglocally and internationally and leads tours to China and Tibet (www.Dao-of-Well-Being.com).

Listening Point Experience for Qigong Women in the Wilderness

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The View From Listening Point

He also knew that some of his childrenwould love nature and its beauties as theyshould; that the trees would be theirtemples and the glories of mountain, plainand forest, their religion. He knew thatthey would weep at the wanton destructionof the nature that means to them life itself.For those who deeply love and who trulyunderstand nature in all its moods, God setaside a little bit of Paradise unaccessiblefor those who would despoil it.

East of the Rainy Lake country andnorth of the rugged shores of LakeSuperior lies a virgin wilderness almosttoo beautiful to describe. It would be aseasy to paint a perfect sunset or thenorthern lights as to do the countryjustice.

Imagine yourself in a primitivewilderness of lakes and streams andmountains where the only sounds arethe laughing of the loons, the slap of thebeaver's tail and the slashing around ofmoose and deer in the bogs. It is todayas it was before Columbus discoveredthis country, untouched, untarnished.The winds still whisper through thevirgin timber, the waves on BigSaganaga still lap hungrily on the shore.The cry of the great northern loonechoes and re-echoes from LakeSuperior to Hudson Bay. The mooseand deer come down to drink, down trailswell worn through centuries of use.Everything is perfect. God had plannedwell.

All is still, the water is smooth as glassexcept when disturbed by the jumping ofthe lake trout. The heavily timbered shoresare reflected as from a mirror in the watersof the lake. As you gaze you sometimescatch yourself wondering which is which,the reflection or the shore. A white throatedsparrow calls so far away and sweetly, onecan hardly believe a note could be so clearand faint and still be heard. You stand therein awe, the silence almost overcomes you,a queer feeling comes to your throat. God,how beautiful it all is and your soulunconsciously goes out in gratitude to the

Creator that has saved this little bit ofheaven for you.

Suddenly you are startled. A wild,weird screaming peal of maniacal laughterrends the silence like a knife. Not onlyonce but peal upon peal, each moreexultant than the first. A cold shiver travelsup and down your spine. You wish youcould kill that thing that spoiled it all. It is

the call of the loon and is answered far offto the north and you wonder how far thatcall will travel; perhaps way up to HudsonBay, who knows. As the echoes come backagain and again from nameless lakes faraway and finally cease, the silence isdeeper than ever. Everything has a place inGod’s plan, even the laughing of the loon.

It is almost dark, the sun has setleaving the west a lurid tumbled mass ofburnished gold. The sunset seems almostfierce in its intensity. It is not peaceful andglowing, but a sullen, angry red. I wonderif it will rain tomorrow.

The tent gleams ghostly in the shadowof a huge spruce. Dan has been cookingsupper. The odor of bacon and coffeeassails my nostrils and I remember I am

still alive and ravenously hungry after along day of paddling and portaging. Danasks where I’ve been and I answer, “Justdreaming.” He smiles; he, too,understands.

After supper, our pipes. The smokecurls up and its fragrance adds the finaltouch to a day that has been lived but notexisted. I take out my map and by the light

of the campfire find we are on an islandin Ottertract lake. It is the most beautifulwe have struck so far and if it were notfor the call of “Something lost behindthe ranges, lost and waiting for you,” wewould camp here but like Kipling’sexplorer we must look behind the rangesto see what awaits us there.

We are sitting smoking in front of ourtent. The smoke from our dyingcampfire curls lazily upward. It isalmost dark, but over toward the east thetops of the spruces are faintly illumined.We watch expectantly up the waterway.A thin rim of silver, then slowly,majestically golden mellow, a glorioussummer moon rises dripping out of thedark placid waters of Ottertract. Thespruces are sharply silhouetted. Thewilderness seems bathed in mellowmoonlight. Even the sharp old stumpover on the shore has somethingbeautiful about it. We sit in silence

drinking in the radiant glory about us. Words would have been sacrilege. The

mournful wail of a timber wolf comesdown from the north and I shiver a little.We are not yet so civilized that we don'trecognize and fear the howl of the wolf. Asilver waterway leads directly to our littleisland. Now it is smooth and polished andnow strewn with a million diamonds as ariffle of wind roughens the surface.Peacefulness and contentment are mine. Iam happy and why should I not be?

I am no millionaire and in fact ampoor in worldly goods, but can anyone elselove the forests, lakes and streams anymore than I do? My body is strong and fullof the vigor of life; I enjoy my sleep, mymeals, my work, my play. I look forward to

Cruising Through God’s Country (continued from page 3)

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years of happiness. Life is good to thosewho know how to live. I do not ever hopeto accumulate worldly wealth, but I shallaccumulate something far more valuable, astore of wonderful memories. When Ireach the twilight of life I shall look backand say, “I am glad I lived as I did; life hasbeen good to me.” I shall not be afraid ofdeath because I will have drunk to the fullthe cup of happiness and contentment thatonly close communion with nature cangive. Most of us do not live. Conventionlooks down on modern man and says,“There is my product, a creature bridled bycustom and tradition.” He is not natural,even his emotions are superficial. He is acreature happy in a sense, a misguidedsense, living and dying without knowingthe joy of one natural breath.

Our pipes are out and the moon isriding high in the heavens. We turn in forthe night and sleep soundly on a fragrantbed of balsam.

Awake at dawn, for dawn is the bestpart of the day in the wilderness. The treesand brush are dripping with dew. The birdsare bursting their little throats withwarbling melody. Everything is fresh andclean. A dip in the icy clear waters of thelake and our toilet is complete. The sun isjust coming up over in the bay toward theeast. The faint white, low hanging mistquickly disappears before its warmingrays. A bull moose that we had not seenbefore is revealed, standing up to his kneesin the water of a bay 500 yards up shore.He has not seen us and is busy eating lilypad roots. Every once in a while he duckshis head and neck under water, coming upin a shower of spray, the lily roots drippingin his mouth. The sun glints on his widelyspreading horns and he is every inch amonarch as he stands and looks in ourdirection. He watches us a little while andthen leisurely steps out of the water. Wecan hear the brush crack as he works hisway up over the rise. We get our lastglimpse of him as he stands on top of theridge and looks down defiantly as if to say,“Who are you that you dare to come anddisturb the peacefulness of my kingdom?”

The trout are jumping and a pair of

loons are laughing and splashing waterwith their wings. The water is so clear thatwe can see the fish feeding along the shore.After breakfast we break camp, dip ourpaddles and we are off for new country andnew adventures. We paddle close to shoreas there is always more of interest therethan anywhere else. A mallard hen flies outin front of the canoe, quacking and makingbelieve she is crippled. We soon see thecause of her discomfiture. A flock of littlebrown chicks are skittering for the shore asfast as their little legs and wings will takethem. They ride in all sorts of nooks andpeep out timidly at us thinking they arehidden. We paddle along through lake afterlake, sometimes making portages from onelake to another. Some of the portages aresteep and rocky so a man with a pack andcanoe has all he can do to keep his footing.

In some places beaver dams have to becrossed and marshy places waded through,not wet enough to float a canoe but too wetto walk upon. The beaver are very activeand evidences of their logging operationsare to be seen everywhere. They are sotame that we see them swimming about inbroad daylight. When we get too close,down they go with a mighty flap of theirtails. We are paddling easily along whenthe sound of a waterfall reaches our ears.

We paddle in toward shore, leave thecanoe and follow up the sound. It must besmall because we hear only a fainttrickling over the rock. After a hundredyards or so we come to a steep face of rocknearly perpendicular and perhaps 100 feetin height. A spring fed brook breaks overthe top and spreads over the face of a rocklike a thin transparent veil. The sunbreaking through the birches seems totouch the veil with silver light so we calledit the “Crystal Sheen.” The little falls is ina grove of slender white birches. Theground and the rock itself is carpeted withthe most delicately tinted green moss.Everything is so exquisitely beautiful that Icannot help but wonder if this is not afairyland. Some tiny fairies with gauzelikewings bathing in the spray of the CrystalSheen would have made the pictureperfect.

We leave reluctantly and resume ourpaddling. The steady swish, swish of ourpaddles soon carries us many milesnorthward. It is a pleasure to watch yourpaddle in the clear water, and the little everpresent whirlpool that you make withevery stroke. We go through a narrow neckand presently the water becomes swifter.We are in a river and before we know it weare racing along very swiftly. White waterbreaking over jagged rocks warns us tokeep our distance. A sharp rock almostseems to leap at us out of the foam, but aquick swerve of the paddle and we flippast. Now we are bounding and shootingthrough spray and white water. It takesquick thinking and quicker acting to keepaway from the rocks now. The trees onshore seem to shoot past and the rocks aregetting thicker. A patch of white watershows up ahead. I try my best to head thecanoe to one side. Now we are in it. Thesickening sound of a rock grating on thebottom of the canoe and we stop in midstream. We paddle desperately, the canoestarts to swing. Two more feet and we aredone for. A last desperate stroke and weslip off and into the current. The waterbecomes more quiet and soon we arecruising smoothly along through a lakeever northward. This lake is dotted withrocky islands covered with spruce andNorway pine.Gulls are flying aroundscreaming and flying low over our heads.Evidently this must be their nestingground.

We are both tired and so head thecanoe for a pretty little island near thecenter of the lake. It is a good campingplace and the wild beauty of the lake withits many rocky islands and screaming gullsappeals to us so we decide to stop for thenight. The rock is covered with heavylichen, which makes a fine bed. The tent issoon up and supper on the way. Aftersupper our pipes alight, we lay on ourbacks and gaze at the lazily drifting clouds.

The lives of those who live close tonature in the northland are filled withadventures every day, and to the men of thenorth they are life. This struggle for

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The View From Listening Point

Gift Shop

Name: _________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP: ___________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________________________

Story of Listening Point booklet ............................ _____ @ $ 5.00 = _______ Sigurd Olson paperback books ............................. _____ @ $15.00 = _______

specify title(s): ______________________________________________________________________________________

Wilderness World video ........................................ _____ @ $15.00 = _______ Wilderness World DVD ........................................ _____ @ $15.00 = _______ A Spiritual Field Guide book ................................. _____ @ $13.00 = _______ Brandenburg cards ............................................... _____ @ $20.00 = _______ Solitary Shores audio CD ...................................... _____ @ $18.00 = _______ Shipping/Handling ($2.00 for each item) .............. _____ @ $ 2.00 = _______

ORDER TOTAL: ___________Please send order form and your check to Listening Point Foundation (LPF), to:

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731

Brandenburg Cards

Listening Point at winter’send, captured byphotographer JimBrandenburg and featuringa quote from Sigurd Olson.Set of 10 full-color notecards with envelopes.

.................... $20

The Story of Listening Point

This 28-page booklet,written by Sig’s sonRobert K. Olson, tellsthe inside story of howListening Point cameto be and why, what itmeant to SigurdOlson, and what itcontinues to mean towilderness lovers andloyalists. Featuresdozens of historicalphotos and images.

............................. $5

The WildernessWorld of SigurdF. Olson Video

This intimate filmcaptures the lifeand spirit of SigurdOlson late in hislife. VHS format,30 minutes long.

..................... $15

Share the spirit of Listening Point with friends and family with one of these gift items thatcelebrate Sigurd Olson and Listening Point.

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Orders also may be placed by email ([email protected]) or fax(to 218/365-7072). Invoices will be includedwith your shipped order.

A Spiritual FieldGuide

This 192-page softcoverbook contains passagesfrom a wide variety ofwriters, activists andothers (includingSigurd F. Olson) whohave thought long anddeeply about themeaning and value ofnature and wilderness.A perfect tripcompanion.

....................... $13

Solitary Shores CD

First recorded in 1983,Solitary Shores wasDouglas Wood’smusical tribute toSigurd Olson. All ofthe songs have astrong North Countryflavor, and there iseven a segment of Sigreading from one ofhis own essays. This isan album for lovers ofthe Northwoods andfans of Sig Olson.

............................. $18

Sigurd Olson Classics

Attractive paperback versionsof seven of Sigurd Olson’smost loved books.

The Singing WildernessListening PointThe Lonely LandRunes of the North Open HorizonsReflections from the NorthCountryOf Time and Place

..................... $15 each

The Wilderness World of SigurdF. Olson DVD

A digitally remastered version of theclassic film “The Wilderness World ofSigurd F. Olson” includes more thantwo hours of conversations with Sig ashe speaks about the craft of writing andlife in the wilderness. You’ll also hearSig’s wife Elizabeth and their son SigJr. speak candidly about Sigurd, hisprofession, and life in the north woods.The audio clips are set to a slideshowof Olson family photographs.

..................... $15

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Fall 2008

THE LISTENING POINT FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS, FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR GENEROUS GIFTS:

Tom Ajax & Jan McElfishBarbara AndersonKeith & Anita AndersonJim & Kathy AntillaDonna ArbaughArtists to WatchTerry & Beth ArtmannClint & Pepper AscheHolly AtkinsonJulie AtkinsonBruce & June BakerMarlene & Ernest BanttariDick & Elaine BarberGeorge & Lee BarthelMike & Stephanie BeckerJoanne BecklundTerry BeirlJohn & Claire Nelson BergstromMary BevisJeffrey BrandJim & Judy BrandenburgBrandenburg GalleryHeidi BrandenburgHeidi BreakerAlan & Nicole BrewPam BrunfeltKirk & Julie BunkeJohn & Kay BuzzaJim & Jan CallJohn & Cindy CantrellWilliam A. CarlsonReid Carron & Becky RomM. CastilloJo Ellen ChristiansenRay ChristensenThomas & Susan ChristiansenArnold ChuClearwater Camp CampersGerald ClevelandJack & Bobbi ConradLee ColemanDr. Tom ConnellJack & Sue CornwellAnne CowieElizabeth CowieGerald & Lynn CoxJill CraftonH.S. Crosby

Jean CurrieTom & Carrie CusackSheldon & Carol DambergDao of Well-BeingBlake & Sandra DavisWilliam DavisCharles DaytonThomas DeanTom & Deb DerrickAl DeRuyter & Linda K. PetersonMr. & Mrs. William DirksDan & Nancy Young DixonDennis DreherSue Duffy & Linda GanisterBarb & Laverne DunsmoreJack & Jane EdsonLarry & Wendy EhnertJim Egbert & Helen ReddyJennifer EllMarguerite EmanuelPeder EngebretsonBarbara & Marc FarleyNancy FeslerForrest FlintF. D. FoggShirley FoxJohn FosterDoug & Penny FranchotJanet FystromGeorge & Andrea GaraRobert & Lorie GibsonLynn GlesneAlan & Mary GolichowskiPeter GoveGraham FamilyKevin & Diane GrasleyRon & Beth HaakensenCis HagerKaren Halbersleben & Jack MillerSuzanne & Craig HalvorsenMichael HanleyMr. & Mrs. HantenJames HartMark & Sandy HarveyWilliam HeartFrances HeinselmanMarcia & Marvin HellingJon Helminiak

Raymond HelminiakDavid HenningJohn HighlenDouglas HillDeborah HinchcliffeHobie HobartJan & Phil HoganNorman & Ilene HolenMelvin & Alta HougenJohn & Susan HovdenesJulia Husband & Michael TuttleM. ImsdahlInternational Wolf CenterGail IsaakJeff & Jake JacobsonRussell &Mary JeckelDon JohanningDean JohnsonLarry & Jan JohnsonJames Joque & Elizabeth ZentnerRebecca KaliBalsy KasiSharon KaufmanBill & Jennifer KelloggJeanne KelloggMartin and Esther KelloggCharles A. KellyJohn & Teresa KendrickJerry Ann KesterTish KilpatrickJeanne T. KingPaula J. King, PhDVaughn & Joyce KnappAlbert KnutsonEdward & Judith KoskaChristine KuehnKathleen KuenstlingDr. Anne LaBastilleO. Milford LangehoughSteve LangehoughEllie & Dick LarmouthBob LarsonGary & Paula LarsonLoren & Louanne LarsonRobert & Mary Lou LarsonMaryjo LeonardScott & Carla LeonardWayne Lewis

Mike & Marci LienHal LietermanJohn & Marilyn LindbeckDaniel & Janet LindbertArmin “Whitey” LuehersLuther CollegeAnson MacFarlaneRory MacKayRobert & Marveen MinishBetty MagnusonKen MakiMr. & Mrs. Robert W. MarxGary & Paul MathenaRenee MathiasonDr. & Mrs. Charles H. Mayo IIVirginia McBrideMalcolm & Wendy McLeanJohn & Karen McManusCory McNultyBill & Sally MeadowsDave MechEric MeekCurt MeineDiane MenneCara Mertes & Norman CowieGary & Paula MethenaAnne MeyerCarol & Joe MillerCynthia MillerKate & Pat MillerRobert MinishSharon MischkePaul MonsonRoberta & David MooreS. S. MooreSunny MoorePaul & Heidi MunnDonald & Rita MynttiC. Roger & Lavonne NelsonDarby & Geri NelsonMike Nelson & Heather VarcoMark NeuzilMarian & Samuel NicholsPatrick NorthNorthland CollegeJon & Cheryl NygaardGeorge & Mavis NymanOberholtzer Foundation

D O N O R S

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The View From Listening Point

D O N O R S

Caorlyn O’Grady & Jim BonillaDerek OlsonPeter OlsonRobert K. OlsonCarol OrbanDennis & Turid OrmsethRandall & Kathleen PachalDoreen PackilaJohn & Charlotte ParishRobert Rue ParsonageGerald & Julie PavelichSusan PekarekShirley PerkinsAnn Peters & Andre TheisenDavid PetersonMark & Erica PetersonSarah PhelanJennifer PhillipsDavid & Jane PiepgrasPiragis Northwoods CompanySteve & Nancy PiragisPomeroy Family FoundationKevin ProescholdtPrudential Matching Gifts

ProgramThe Question ClubLinda RamsdenJoe RejmanJohn Rejman

Judy RichDr. Don E. RichardBill & Lauren RitchieWin Rockwell & Binky WoodKris RoeJeff & Sharon RomeBruce RossTimothy RudnickiClayton RussellJason SaathoffStephen SandellDarryl & Diane SannesMarjorie SanziAndy Schaedel & Sue Sanzi-SchaedelJohn W. SaxhaugRev. Dave SchneiderJoy Schochet & Jonathan GreenCarol SchofieldJo SchulzeRalph SeeleySusan SeiberlichLeif Selkregg & Laura MynttiJim ShackelfordKathy Shaw & Larry LaBontéGordon & Gail SheddySteve & Sherry ShihLee & Margaret SkoldRoslyn Slepian

Jean Schmidt-Smith & Frank Smith

Perry & Laurie SmithGerry & Nan SnyderTed & Barbara SpauldingSpiritwood Music of the

Boundary WatersJohn StatonBruce & Susan StedmanSam Steiger & Sarah BeckerMilt StenlundAnn & Willy SternRalph StevensCarl StewartJeff StittCharles Stoehr IIIJim StowellTim & Carolyn SundquistDonna & Pat SurfaceBarton SutterHelen SwemEd & Gloria SzymanskiTalbot Lumber Co.Bill TefftDiane TessariNed & Jean TherrienRonald ThorsonElaine ThruneJohn R. Topczewski

Jon & Peggy TraverRobert TreuerThe Trust for Public LandsLouise TryggLouise TschudyBert & Margaret TuckerNancy jo TubbsRussel UhrenholdtSoren UhrenholdtVermilion Community CollegeJohn & Donna VirrJae & Marilee WandkeWilliam K. WangThomas & Lynette WardNigel & Jane WattrusRichard & Audrey WebbDavid & Marjorie WhiteChuck & Marty WickStephen WilbersWilderness Wind ResortCarole & Alan WilladsonFred & Eleanor WinstonDouglas WoodBob, Marion & LindaWoodburyDr. & Mrs. TS ZehrenDavid & Margo Zentner

Listening Point Foundation Contribution FormName: _________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: _________________________________________

Contribution Amount

$25 $250

$50 $500

$100 (other) ________

Please send your check payable toListening Point Foundation to:

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180

Ely, MN 55731

My donation will secure a gift contribution for:Name: ________________________________________________Address: ______________________________________________City, State, ZIP: _______________________________________

My contribution is in (select one) honor/memory of:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11

G I F T S

Fall 2008

Tim Barzen, in memory of John C. Barzen

Pat Browne, in memory of Aggie Thompson

Jim & Jan Call, in memory of Sharon Kastellic

Sue Carver, in honor of Paul Monson

Marguerite H. Emanuel, in honor of Tim, Carolyn & Trudy Sundquist, progeny of Aberfoyle on Burntside

Robert Gibson,in honor of Lorie

Lawrence & Kathleen Gunderson, in memory of Norman R. Gunderson

Maria Helling, in honor of Mark Helling

Don Johanning, in honor of "The Great One" Sigurd Olson

Richard Jorgeson, in memory of Ellen Derewenko

Susan Lyon,in honor of Julie Pavelich, for her birthday

Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Mayo II, in memory of Chester W. P. Mayo, M.D.

Roberta & David Moore, in honor of all wild places and those who listen…

Helen Rudie,in honor of Franklin P. Schoberg, US Forest Ranger

J & P Sander, in honor of Gary Sander's 70th birthday

Patricia & Pete Sander,in honor of Gary Sander’s 71st birthday

Diane & Darryl Sannes, in memory of Joan Knutson

Ronald Thorson,in memory of Erik Thorson

Andrew & Elizabeth Urban,in honor of the Knapps

William Wang, in memory of Sigurd F. Olson

IN MEMORY OF VONNIE OLSON:

Grant & Marilyn AlbrechtDonna ArbaughPepper & Clint AscheJeff &Terry Beirl

Jim & Judy BrandenburgSarah Boles & Adrian WydevenJim & Jan CallDon & Connie ChaseAmy Sanzi CialaMarilyn DehnertDan & Ruth DumsJack & Jane EdsonBarbara EllisonDavid EngelsonBill & Rhonda FucikKaren Halbersleben &

Jack MillerBetty HelgesonLouis & Nancy JappeMartin & Esther KelloggJeanne T. KingDebra KurtzweilScott, Carla, Stacey &

Chris LeonardJohn & Marilyn LindbeckBill & Sally MeadowsKate & Pat MillerPaul MonsonDon & Rita MynttiDarby & Geraldine NelsonTom & Amie NigborOlson FamilyRandy PachalMarjorie PetersDiedre Stenlund PludeDavid & Tess PetersonJoesph & Betty Lou RaymondLee RegasEugene & Jean RoarkBarbara RomMarjorie T. SanziAndrew Schaedel &

Susan M. Sanzi-SchaedelGuy & Linda SkoglundKen & Margaret StaussR. Bruce StedmanMilt StenlundChristine Tschudy Mary VaneveraMatt Vertin William Wang &

Marna EbbesenRichard & Audrey WebbChuck & Marty WickBob & Marilyn Woodbury

GIFTS IN MEMORY & IN HONOR OF...The DNA we inherited from our ancestors who lived inwilderness, and knew it as familiarly as home, lives on inus. It is reflected in our innate inclination take off for wildplaces and in those moments spent near trees and waterwhen our bodies seem to sigh with relief.

In his writing and in his conservation work, Olsontried to ensure that wilderness would always be protectedso that that primitive person in us could be fed andnourished by it. Olson’s death while snowshoeing nearEly on a 30-degree-below morning in 1981 was perhapsfitting. Robert Olson wrote of it, “…it was quite as hewould have wished it to be, out in the woods,snowshoeing down the trail.”

He leaves us with the richness of wilderness, andspecifically the legacy of a little granite spit of land onBurntside Lake.

Of it, Olson wrote, “I named this place ListeningPoint because only when one comes to listen, only whenone is aware and still, can things be seen and heard.Everyone,” he said, “has a listening point somewhere.”

—Nancy Jo Tubbs is a member of the LPF Board of Directors. This article first appeared in the Sept. 20, 2008 issue of the Ely Timberjay.

Listening Point (continued from page 4)

God’s Country (continued from page 7)

existence and the fearless battle with the elements is whatmakes the manhood of the north big and clean and strong.The north asks for strong men, not weaklings, for heremanhood is tested down to the core. To those whom sheselects she reveals all her riches and if she does not givethem riches in gold she gives them riches far more worthwhile that mean happiness and contentment.

And so we traveled through hundreds of lakes andrivers, drunk in the beauties of countless waterfalls, rapidsand virgin forests, saw naked grandeur as God intended itto be, unscathed by the hand of man. When we ended ourcruise and our canoes grated on a sandy beach for the lasttime our hearts were heavy and yet how happy. We wereragged and unkempt, but what mattered that; our heartswere filled to overflowing. We came back empty handed,but oh how rich we were. We could say with Kipling’sexplorer on his return:

“Have I named one single river? Have I claimed onesingle acre? Have I kept one single nugget? No, not I.Because my price was paid me ten times over by myMaker. But you wouldn’t understand it. You go up andoccupy.”

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731

NOT FOR PROFITU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 12

Hayward, WI 54843

Published byThe Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731Telephone: 218/365-7890FAX: 218/365-7072E-mail: [email protected]: www.listeningpointfoundation.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAlanna Johnson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Timothy J. Rudnicki, ChairCharles Wick, Vice ChairNancy Jo Tubbs, SecretaryRobert K. Olson, President EmeritusTheresa Beirl Karen FriedrichJon Helminiak Dr. Mark PetersonMartin Kellogg Bryan WoodPaul O. Monson Douglas Wood

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARDPaul Anderson Bloomington, MNDr. David Backes S. Milwaukee, WIJohn “Jeb” Barzen Spring Green, WIJim Brandenburg Ely, MNRay Christensen Bloomington, MNGary Deason Flagstaff, AZEsther Kellogg St. Paul, MNMike Link Willow River, MNVance G. Martin Boulder, COMalcolm McLean St. Paul, MNDr. Michael Nelson Moscow, IDSigurd T. Olson Juneau, AKKevin Proescholdt St. Paul, MNClayton Russell Ashland, WITim Sundquist Duluth, MNRobert Treuer Bemidji, MNSteve Waddell Bellbrook, OHDave Zentner Duluth, MN

Visit us online!www.listeningpointfoundation.org

INTERNATIONAL AND SENIORBOARD OF ADVISORSDr. Anne LaBastilleAuthor/EcologistWestport, NYDr. Ian PlayerFounder/President, The Wilderness FoundationDurban, Republic of South AfricaFranco ZuninoFounder/Director GeneralAssociazione Italiana WildernessMurialdo (SV), Italy

Produced and printed by Advance Printing,15576 US Hwy 63, Hayward, WI 54843;phone 715/634-6888; fax 715/634-6912;[email protected]

Editor: Laurence J. WilandProduction: Debra Kurtzweil

Materials in the newsletter may be reproducedwith attribution to the author, the newsletter,and the Foundation. We welcome readers’letters, comments and suggestions.

THE VIEW FROM LISTENING POINT — FALL 2008