J. Groth 1987 journal 185. Eastern Trip, North Dakota to Minnesota July 10 Walker, Minnesota. In this area the (cont'd) forest was mixed, somewhat open, hardwoods and white pine, white spruce, tamarack, and jack pine -- all with good cone crops, but becoming poorer further E. The black spruce had no cones, as this tree became more common eastward and northward. I did not stop, as I assumed things would get "better" more NE. I took Hwy. 371 N from Walker, then took Hwy 2 E to Grand Rapids. I then got on Hwy 169 E to Virginia, then to Ely. Conifers became scarcer, the cone crops poorer. At Ely I headed SE on Hwy. 1 to Lake Superior. The forest here was intermittent in terms of tree size and species -- heavily logged and managed-- mostly black spruce and aspen and white birch. No cones here, and the white pines (of which there were few) were barren of cones. I drove N to Grand Marais, but no improvement in forest type by crossbill standards. I then went back S and slept at a Shoreline wayside.