Destination Up North 2018 Up North | Page 24

LITTLE FALLS The Place To Be !

4 4 T H A N N U A L
46TH
4 4 T H A N N U A L

Saturday , September 8 & Sunday , September 9

DOWNTOWN LITTLE FALLS

600 Juried Exhibitors • Artists • Crafters 50 Food Vendors • Free Parking

• Free Shuttle Bus

Sponsored by the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
Formore information call 320-632-5155 or visit www . littlefallsmnchamber . com
7th Annual
ANNUAL
Ratedone of the BEST arts & crafts fairs in the nation .

September 8 & 9 , 2018

2018 undergo further expansion , and have plans to expand the trails as well ,” said Hautala .
Martens calls the plans exciting . As co-founder of the Minnesota High School Cycling League , he has had the opportunity to bring plenty of young people to the park to ride . “ The trails at Cuyuna Country provide for progressive experiential enjoyment for all riders and abilities . It ’ s fun , exhilarating , a good mix of purpose built trails as well as old school kind of natural single track ,” he said .
In its April 2017 issue , Outside Magazine named the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area one of the top places in the country to visit . It came in number 26 on the list citing that “ The rides here are so good that the International Mountain Bicycling Association pronounced it a silver-level ride center — a notch above Aspen- Snowmass ’ s bronze distinction .”
Mountain biking may be what has put Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area on the map , but Bill Matthies , vice president of the Minnesota School of Diving , points out it ’ s not the only activity the place is known for . He says the scuba diving is incredible there too thanks to the handiwork of miners .
Photo by Touch the Sky Blue
“ There are I believe 27 mining pits in the park , and each one of them has three or four really good dive sites ,” said Matthies . “ Unlike natural lakes , which have lots of weeds starting in the shallows and going out about 100 or 200 feet , the pits are extremely clear , and they don ’ t just drop , they slope . You can drop down to any depth you want and see lots of fish , lots of trees . In fact , I tell people in Crosby fish live in trees because those fish are in the trees just all the time and they ’ re just beautiful and easy to get to .”
Matthies says people have been diving in the mine pits since about 1967 when the Armour No . 2 mine , the last underground mine to operate in the state , shut down . In addition to fish and trees , he says every once in a while divers come across cars and snowmobiles that fell through the ice as well . “ There ’ s always something interesting to see ,” he said .
If you want to check out the pits for yourself , the Minnesota School of Diving offers a “ Fun Dive ” program in the summer time . Two nights a week and every Saturday , they take people out to
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