Winter Sign

In the Quetico-Superior region of northeastern Minnesota, winter is long, with snow in evidence from mid-October to May. The season is fiercely challenging, but it is also majestic. Huot-Vickery (Open Spaces) has spent 15 such winters at his cabin in the wilderness, where he has observed deer and wolves. Here, he introduces readers to the geology of the area and to its succession of wildlife. The subject of winter and deep snows leads him to that of snowshoes, and so he provides full information about their history and use. There are occasional autobiographical glimpses (such as a poignant account of his mother's death), as well as lyrical descriptions of snowy landscapes, but the focus is on the grandeur and danger of nature in winter, on the season's potentially fatal beauty. In addition to offering a solid study of the ecology of the Boundary Waters region, Huot-Vickery also provides a compelling account of a quest to understand nature and self. (Nov.)