Evan Blagec is basic supervisor and co-owner of True North Outpost.
The trio discovered a house for his or her enterprise in a 100-year-plus constructing that wanted in depth renovation. True North Outpost started within the fall of 2017 and formally opened for enterprise in Might 2019. They’ve served hundreds of journey prospects since then.
It was a love of river rafting at an space resort that led Evan Blagec to his present place as basic supervisor and co-owner of True North Outpost in Norway.Situated close to the Menominee River, one of many wildest and most scenic rivers within the Higher Midwest, True North Outpost affords a wide range of outside adventures, together with whitewater rafting, guided paddle and mountain bike journeys, and mountaineering. The clothes shop additionally rents outside sports activities gear and affords a “construct your personal journey.”“After we began the enterprise Nate (Alwine) and Austin Kalcec, house owners, introduced me on due to that earlier outside journey expertise. I’ve all the time been an open air particular person. The three of us love spending time exterior so we wished to supply a chance for others to do the identical,” Blagec mentioned.Blagec met Alwine following his time on the resort, whereas the 2 had been attending school. Like Blagec, Alwine, an IT engineer, and Kalcec, {an electrical} engineer, have a ardour for outside journey, so their enterprise enterprise appeared pure.”(Alwine’s) a U.P. guru and his ardour helps others to have outside adventures,” Blagec mentioned. (Kalcec’s) ardour is for over highway journeys, tenting, automobiles, and so forth.”The country constructing as soon as served as a farm residence and boarding home. At one time, the freeway ran on the alternative aspect of the home, which necessitated switching the constructing’s entrance from the again to the entrance. The constructing had been vacant for the reason that Nineteen Eighties and by the Nineties was in disrepair.The crew of three repurposed supplies salvaged from defunct sawmills, fallen barns, a hospital (slated for demolition) and even handled lumber from an outdated industrial website. The home has a colourful historical past, in keeping with its web site, as soon as “residence to an escaped circus monkey for years.”“I believe our most uncommon Construct Your Personal Journey was a bird-watching tour we took some older of us on within the fall. They wished to place eight folks in a single raft with cameras and float the decrease part of the Menominee River on the lookout for birds. It was an exquisite enjoyable expertise, very fascinating to see of us of that age vary so keen about watching birds,” Blagec mentioned.“Inform us what you need your outside journey to be and we are going to discover and make it occur for you.” The above-mentioned bird-watching raft journey is a first-rate instance of the Outpost’s customized journey planning possibility. An expertise is constructed straight round regardless of the buyer is on the lookout for. Prospects who’re in search of a selected form of outside journey within the U.P. could contact the Outpost employees and switch the planning over to them.“It may be as straightforward as handing you some maps and pointing you in the suitable route,or as concerned as sending out a information to cook dinner meals, present gear and guiding companies,” Blagec mentioned.The Outpost’s main season extends from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “On common we run anyplace between 3,000 to 4,000 prospects a 12 months down the river. Our hottest days of the week, in fact, are Friday, Saturday and Sunday however we’re operating journeys each day. Usually, our rafting journeys exit at 10 a.m. and a couple of:30 p.m. every day with personal journeys earlier than and after every of these public journey occasions.”Michelle Kalcek, retail supervisor, and Lucy Joyce, hospitality supervisor, are answerable for the Outpost’s retail operation. The shop affords one-of-a-kind artwork and décor from native U.P. artists. Their merchandise contains True North Outpost gear, plus branded gear from the Higher Peninsula, Piers Gorge and Norway.Merchandise is displayed all through the primary flooring of the renovated constructing, a farmhouse courting again to the Nineties. The second flooring shows an unimaginable array of antiques starting from doll homes, lamps and cooking utensils to furnishings. A second constructing is below development and can home the vintage portion of the enterprise as soon as completed. The Outpost additionally sells architectural salvage with “superior one-of-a-kind outdated and upcycled gadgets” Blagec mentioned.“We undoubtedly don’t have any plans of slowing down. We’re presently within the means of constructing a brand new vintage retailer. Additionally, we’re testing a few new journey choices — each excessive journey and low journey. We’re keen about partnerships. Sooner or later, we need to accomplice with as many native companies and teams as we will to maintain offering unimaginable outside experiences for these which might be in search of them,” Blagec mentioned.True North Outpost, W 5768 Outdated Piers Gorge Highway, Norway. (906) 239-4971.Ann Dallman has lifelong roots in Michigan’s UP. She began out as a newspaper reporter/photographer and returned to journalism after retiring from educating. Her first Center Grade novel,, obtained a State Historical past Award (Books/Youth) from the Historic Society of Michigan in addition to a Midwest Guide Award, New Mexico-Arizona Guide Award, was a Subsequent Technology Indie Guide Award Finalist and a UP Notable Guide. Her second e-book,, additionally obtained the Historic Society of Michigan State Award and can also be a UP Notable Guide.
