Listening Point

Sigurd Olson’s book is the most beautifully written and profound evocation of the utter beauty of the Quetico-Superior wilderness that I have ever read. Olson finds wonder and astonishment everywhere: trees, lakes, rivers, wildlife, and birds; the sound of rain; “laughing loons,” the signature sound of the North Country; falling leaves and bobcat trails.

I have read this entire book twice, and each time, I have learned more about appreciating the beauty of the wild. Each chapter is a unique lesson in seeing, hearing, and—most importantly—learning how to appreciate the wild and immerse oneself within it while leaving it intact. 

Sigurd Olson’s book transported me on a wonderful, multifaceted journey through the Quantico-Superior country of Northern Minnesota by blending stories of places and people of the northern lake country with rich ecological, geological, and cultural history.

I was particularly engaged and amazed by Olson’s ability to maintain a theme of the man/nature interface and how history has impacted and still impacts ecology. I learned an incredible amount of history while reading, and at the same time, I felt literally transported to the unparalleled beauty and magical landscape (or “lake scape”) through delicious and vivid sensory imagery.

I cannot imagine ever… show more.