Ann Bancroft: Wander Woman

Sitting on the porch of her vintage farmhouse that overlooks the St. Croix River, Ann Bancroft appeared more homebody than polar explorer the other day.Now 57 — fully 27 years after she became the first woman to reach the North Pole by dog sled — Bancroft, effusive and upbeat on a summer morning, was flanked by her oversized Alaskan malamute, Scissors, who snoozed contentedly except when harassed by the playful comings-and-goings of three cats.Not far away, a coop full of laying hens paraded helter-skelter, bobbing and pecking, while a garden of tomatoes and other vegetables destined for a nearby farmers market grew behind tall fences intended to keep deer at bay.Read more here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/215174741.html