Bryan Hansel
@bryanhansel.com
Photographer and photo workshop leader specializing in seascapes, landscapes & nightscapes. Fav place: Boundary Waters. A good Minnesotan. Grand Marais. Learn more at www.bryanhansel.com. I write at bryanhansel.substack.com and at paddlinglight.com.
This is one of my favorite things that I wrote this year.
He Was an Expert Kayaker: How Reporters Get Paddling Fatalities Wrong
www.paddlinglight.com/articles/he-...
He Was an Expert Kayaker: How Reporters Get Paddling Fatalities Wrong
www.paddlinglight.com/articles/he-...
He Was an Expert Kayaker: How Reporters Get Paddling Fatalities Wrong
As we move out of winter and into the early paddling season, we’re bound to see reports of deaths of paddlers due to cold water and not wearing life vests. This happens every year. Journalists will of...
www.paddlinglight.com
December 26, 2025 at 5:13 PM
This is one of my favorite things that I wrote this year.
He Was an Expert Kayaker: How Reporters Get Paddling Fatalities Wrong
www.paddlinglight.com/articles/he-...
He Was an Expert Kayaker: How Reporters Get Paddling Fatalities Wrong
www.paddlinglight.com/articles/he-...
I failed my 2025 goal of reading a book a month. I ended at seven and a couple that I wasn't able to finish because they were interlibrary loans.
1. The Art of Illustrated Maps
2. Pushing the River
3. The Serviceberry
4. Soul of the Outdoors
5. Where We Walk
6. Woodcut, Bryan Nash Gill
7. Sisu
1. The Art of Illustrated Maps
2. Pushing the River
3. The Serviceberry
4. Soul of the Outdoors
5. Where We Walk
6. Woodcut, Bryan Nash Gill
7. Sisu
December 26, 2025 at 2:07 AM
I failed my 2025 goal of reading a book a month. I ended at seven and a couple that I wasn't able to finish because they were interlibrary loans.
1. The Art of Illustrated Maps
2. Pushing the River
3. The Serviceberry
4. Soul of the Outdoors
5. Where We Walk
6. Woodcut, Bryan Nash Gill
7. Sisu
1. The Art of Illustrated Maps
2. Pushing the River
3. The Serviceberry
4. Soul of the Outdoors
5. Where We Walk
6. Woodcut, Bryan Nash Gill
7. Sisu
Draft of a map of the Banadad Ski Trail
December 23, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Draft of a map of the Banadad Ski Trail
Black and white infrared (590nm) Milky Way
December 20, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Black and white infrared (590nm) Milky Way
20 years ago from the seat of a Cessna. Left to right: Sugarloaf Cove, the Tomteboda Motel (demolished for a city shop), Split Rock Lighthouse.
December 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
20 years ago from the seat of a Cessna. Left to right: Sugarloaf Cove, the Tomteboda Motel (demolished for a city shop), Split Rock Lighthouse.
This winter storm in NE Minnesota is wild.
Noon: Rain, 39°F, frozen roads
6pm: Snow, 8°F & dropping fast, wind speed N 21 G 59 mph
It's so bad that they actually delayed school by two hours.
Noon: Rain, 39°F, frozen roads
6pm: Snow, 8°F & dropping fast, wind speed N 21 G 59 mph
It's so bad that they actually delayed school by two hours.
December 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM
This winter storm in NE Minnesota is wild.
Noon: Rain, 39°F, frozen roads
6pm: Snow, 8°F & dropping fast, wind speed N 21 G 59 mph
It's so bad that they actually delayed school by two hours.
Noon: Rain, 39°F, frozen roads
6pm: Snow, 8°F & dropping fast, wind speed N 21 G 59 mph
It's so bad that they actually delayed school by two hours.
I tested the Deeper MAX depth finder from a canoe with one goal in mind: mapping a small Minnesota lake. What I learned surprised me and will change how I use it next season.
Using the Deeper MAX Depth Finder For Mapping
Late this year, I picked up a Deeper MAX Depth Finder (get it here). with the goal of using it for depth-mapping Minnesota lakes from a canoe. I bought it directly from Deeper Sonar right when it launched, but a shipping delay with DHL, who claimed I needed to pay tariffs that Deeper had already covered, meant it took weeks to finally arrive. By the time that Deeper sorted it out with DHL, the paddling season was almost over, and I didn’t get to test it as much as I’d hoped.
www.paddlinglight.com
December 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM
I tested the Deeper MAX depth finder from a canoe with one goal in mind: mapping a small Minnesota lake. What I learned surprised me and will change how I use it next season.
I’ve been using the Rocky Talkie Expedition radios for two years now.
They’ve proven reliable, with excellent battery life and realistic range in wooded terrain. I also ran into one notable pain point and found a simple fix that made them much better
Review at the link.
They’ve proven reliable, with excellent battery life and realistic range in wooded terrain. I also ran into one notable pain point and found a simple fix that made them much better
Review at the link.
Rocky Talkie Expedition Radio Review Update
It has now been two years since I got a set of Rocky Talkie Expedition Radios, and after plenty of real-world use, it felt like time to update my opinion. My original First Look is here: Rocky Talkie Expedition Radio 5 Watt GMRS Radio First Look. In the first look, I also cover VHF versus GMRS, which is worth considering, especially for sea kayakers. If you're a sea kayaker, I recommend reading the first look for more details. The Expedition radio (originally called the 5-watt radio) is an IP67 waterproof, 5-watt, GMRS radio designed for use in challenging conditions.
www.paddlinglight.com
December 16, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I’ve been using the Rocky Talkie Expedition radios for two years now.
They’ve proven reliable, with excellent battery life and realistic range in wooded terrain. I also ran into one notable pain point and found a simple fix that made them much better
Review at the link.
They’ve proven reliable, with excellent battery life and realistic range in wooded terrain. I also ran into one notable pain point and found a simple fix that made them much better
Review at the link.
I found some old photos and an aerial photo of the old ski hill near Grand Marias, Minnesota. I decided to map it today. The map is a bit rough and I'm not 100% certain that I got all the connectors. I think there could be two more from the western run to the shorter runs west of the tow.
December 14, 2025 at 9:54 PM
I found some old photos and an aerial photo of the old ski hill near Grand Marias, Minnesota. I decided to map it today. The map is a bit rough and I'm not 100% certain that I got all the connectors. I think there could be two more from the western run to the shorter runs west of the tow.
Winter Has Arrived
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
Winter Has Arrived
Photos of the northland during early winter. Sub-zero mornings, sea smoke, and ice. It’s why early winter is one of my favorite times to photograph Lake Superior.
open.substack.com
December 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Winter Has Arrived
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
The Sawtooth Mountain Ski Area that doesn't exist anymore. This used to be at Grand Marais, MN.
December 13, 2025 at 10:13 PM
The Sawtooth Mountain Ski Area that doesn't exist anymore. This used to be at Grand Marais, MN.
A neat old advertisement for Lutsen Mountains in northern Minnesota. I would have liked to do the run all the way from Mystery Mountain to Lake Superior. It doesn't exist anymore, but I can imagine where it must have gone. I suspect that I've done most of it in pieces on xc skis or a snowboard.
December 13, 2025 at 9:14 PM
A neat old advertisement for Lutsen Mountains in northern Minnesota. I would have liked to do the run all the way from Mystery Mountain to Lake Superior. It doesn't exist anymore, but I can imagine where it must have gone. I suspect that I've done most of it in pieces on xc skis or a snowboard.
Back in 2023, I proposed the Triple Crown of Kayaking as a goal for adventurous paddlers. I was asked to write an article about it for Paddling Magazine this year, and I just completed a map about the trips. Here I write a bit about the map.
The North American Triple Crown of Kayaking
Back in 2023, I proposed a Triple Crown of Paddling that included the Inside Passage, the Mississippi River, and Lake Superior among other classic North American trips. Later, I was asked to write an article about it specific to sea kayaking for Paddling Magazine, and I was asked to select three routes to propose. I went with a salt water trip, a river trip, and a Great Lakes trip. I thought those choices represented the diversity of paddling routes in North America. That article appeared in issue 74 and is…
www.paddlinglight.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Back in 2023, I proposed the Triple Crown of Kayaking as a goal for adventurous paddlers. I was asked to write an article about it for Paddling Magazine this year, and I just completed a map about the trips. Here I write a bit about the map.
The North American Triple Crown of Kayaking
This is a map that I just made based on the two articles I wrote on what I proposed could be a triple crown for kayaking in North America. It includes a river, a salt water trip, and a Great Lake.
This is a map that I just made based on the two articles I wrote on what I proposed could be a triple crown for kayaking in North America. It includes a river, a salt water trip, and a Great Lake.
December 12, 2025 at 3:51 AM
The North American Triple Crown of Kayaking
This is a map that I just made based on the two articles I wrote on what I proposed could be a triple crown for kayaking in North America. It includes a river, a salt water trip, and a Great Lake.
This is a map that I just made based on the two articles I wrote on what I proposed could be a triple crown for kayaking in North America. It includes a river, a salt water trip, and a Great Lake.
Which spoon would you pick for backpacking and camping?
Left to Right:
1. Homemade, locally harvested* birch spoon, 0.2 ounces
2. Plastic Light My Fire spork, 0.4 ounces
3. Titanium Hilltops Packs long-handled spoon, 0.7 ounces
* Harvested from our property by me. It's finished in walnut oil.
Left to Right:
1. Homemade, locally harvested* birch spoon, 0.2 ounces
2. Plastic Light My Fire spork, 0.4 ounces
3. Titanium Hilltops Packs long-handled spoon, 0.7 ounces
* Harvested from our property by me. It's finished in walnut oil.
December 10, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Which spoon would you pick for backpacking and camping?
Left to Right:
1. Homemade, locally harvested* birch spoon, 0.2 ounces
2. Plastic Light My Fire spork, 0.4 ounces
3. Titanium Hilltops Packs long-handled spoon, 0.7 ounces
* Harvested from our property by me. It's finished in walnut oil.
Left to Right:
1. Homemade, locally harvested* birch spoon, 0.2 ounces
2. Plastic Light My Fire spork, 0.4 ounces
3. Titanium Hilltops Packs long-handled spoon, 0.7 ounces
* Harvested from our property by me. It's finished in walnut oil.
There's still a lot of confusion about the Lutsen Resort fire. People who live outside the area are confusing Lutsen Resort with Lutsen Mountains. They are two separate businesses owned by different people. I made a map that will hopefully help clarify things.
December 9, 2025 at 7:33 PM
There's still a lot of confusion about the Lutsen Resort fire. People who live outside the area are confusing Lutsen Resort with Lutsen Mountains. They are two separate businesses owned by different people. I made a map that will hopefully help clarify things.
A forgotten hydro scheme in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters and the scars it left behind. One paddler's journey to discover what happened and who did it, and photograph the damage as it sits 100 years later.
Power and the Paddle: Exploring History in the Wilderness
A forgotten hydro scheme in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters and the scars it left behind. One paddler's journey to discover what happened and who did it, and photograph the damage as it sits 100 years later.
www.paddlinglight.com
December 7, 2025 at 12:50 PM
A forgotten hydro scheme in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters and the scars it left behind. One paddler's journey to discover what happened and who did it, and photograph the damage as it sits 100 years later.
This is a Minnesota thing. It seems most people in MN don't understand the different between Lutsen Mountains (the ski hill) and Lutsen Resort. They were separated into two businesses 45 years ago. The owner of Lutsen Resort was charged with arson. The arson had nothing to do with the ski hill.
December 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This is a Minnesota thing. It seems most people in MN don't understand the different between Lutsen Mountains (the ski hill) and Lutsen Resort. They were separated into two businesses 45 years ago. The owner of Lutsen Resort was charged with arson. The arson had nothing to do with the ski hill.
PANTONE released the 2026 Color of the Year today, and it's the only way to be sure. It's brilliant off white like a white hot explosion powdered with the ash of American dreams.
December 5, 2025 at 3:13 AM
PANTONE released the 2026 Color of the Year today, and it's the only way to be sure. It's brilliant off white like a white hot explosion powdered with the ash of American dreams.
The Fire: A North Shore Story Podcast launched today. It is about the loss of Lutsen Resort to alleged arson by the owner.
pca.st/podcast/6c2d...
pca.st/podcast/6c2d...
The Fire: A North Shore Story
The Shore Thing Podcast is hosted by Joe Friedrichs and Steve Fernlund. Both have more than a decade of experience writing and reporting on local news in Cook County, Minnesota. The podcast is a platf...
pca.st
December 5, 2025 at 3:08 AM
The Fire: A North Shore Story Podcast launched today. It is about the loss of Lutsen Resort to alleged arson by the owner.
pca.st/podcast/6c2d...
pca.st/podcast/6c2d...
Bryce Campbell, former owner of Lutsen Resort, has been arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree arson and insurance fraud in connection to Lutsen Resort burning down. I guide for Lutsen and am so sad about this.
Photo credit unknown.
Photo credit unknown.
December 4, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Bryce Campbell, former owner of Lutsen Resort, has been arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree arson and insurance fraud in connection to Lutsen Resort burning down. I guide for Lutsen and am so sad about this.
Photo credit unknown.
Photo credit unknown.
Lake Superior had a light layer of sea smoke on it this morning, and that made for an interesting mood in my photos from sunrise. Here's one of the photos.
December 4, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Lake Superior had a light layer of sea smoke on it this morning, and that made for an interesting mood in my photos from sunrise. Here's one of the photos.
The Man with Antlers on the Cliff is the story of an unexplained experience that I had at a pictograph site in the Boundary Waters.
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
December 4, 2025 at 3:15 AM
The Man with Antlers on the Cliff is the story of an unexplained experience that I had at a pictograph site in the Boundary Waters.
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
open.substack.com/pub/bryanhan...
The 30% OFF deal ends tonight. Use the code NORTHERN30 to get the discount.
www.bryanhansel.com/out/calendar/
www.bryanhansel.com/out/calendar/
December 2, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The 30% OFF deal ends tonight. Use the code NORTHERN30 to get the discount.
www.bryanhansel.com/out/calendar/
www.bryanhansel.com/out/calendar/
Sunrise over an ice formation and Lake Superior from near Grand Marais. I thought this was a fun find!
December 1, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Sunrise over an ice formation and Lake Superior from near Grand Marais. I thought this was a fun find!